Franklin Dean
The wedding of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The ceremony was infused with Anglican and American Episcopalian traditions, with the Most Reverend Michael Curry, the American Episcopalian bishop, delivering a sermon that quoted Dr Martin Luther King Jr. on love and fire. The wedding was also marked by the release of commemorative stamps and an official UK £5 coin.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the wedding | 19 May 2018 |
| Venue | St George's Chapel, Windsor |
| Bride | Meghan Markle |
| Groom | Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex |
| Preacher | Bishop Michael Curry, head of the Episcopalian Church in America |
| Sermon | Quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about love and fire |
| Best man | Prince William, Duke of Cambridge |
| Wedding rings | Harry wore a wedding ring, breaking with royal tradition |
| Notable guests | George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, James Corden, Sir Elton John, etc. |
| Other details | Meghan Markle got baptised before the wedding; a £5 coin was issued to commemorate the wedding |
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What You'll Learn
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date
The wedding broke with royal tradition in several ways. It was held on a Saturday, whereas British royals typically marry on weekdays. The wedding also took place on the same day as the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother William usually attends as President of the Football Association. The couple also delayed their honeymoon until a week after their wedding, making their first public appearance as a married couple at Prince Charles' 70th birthday celebration.
The ceremony included both royal and Anglican traditions, with an American gospel choir and a sermon by an American Episcopalian preacher, Bishop Michael Curry, who is the head of the Episcopalian Church in America. The wedding also paid tribute to Princess Diana, with all three of her siblings in attendance, and Lady Jane Fellowes giving a reading.
Markle's wedding dress incorporated the traditional bridal themes of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". She had a piece of fabric from Diana's wedding dress sewn into her dress, along with a piece of fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Harry stitched into the veil. The couple's wedding invitations were mailed out in late March, and the formal announcement of their engagement was made on November 27.
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The wedding's cost
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The royal family announced that they would pay for the wedding. The costs for the cake, the florist, and the catering were estimated at £50,000, £110,000, and £286,000, respectively, with the overall cost expected to be around £32 million. Security costs were estimated to be between £2 million and £4 million, with the bulk of the budget, around £30 million, going towards security.
The wedding's total cost was expected to be about $42.8 million, with the majority of the money going towards security measures such as snipers, undercover police, and a counter-UAV system. The expenses for food and beverage, the dress, flowers, and a glass marquee for the reception were estimated at $2.7 million (£2 million). The cost of Meghan Markle's wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller, was estimated at £390,000.
The royal family covered the "core aspects" of the wedding, including the church service, associated music, flowers, decorations, and the reception. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport spent £1.5 million, while the Windsor and Maidenhead council spent £1,084,512 on stewarding, crowd control barriers, big screens, waste disposal, and other associated costs.
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a high-profile event with significant costs, with the royal family covering many of the expenses. The security costs constituted a significant portion of the overall budget.
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The ceremony and reception
The ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The chapel has served as the site of numerous royal weddings, including those of Queen Victoria's children. It is also the final resting place of several monarchs, including King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, and Henry VIII. The wedding began at 12:00 midday BST. The service was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who officially married the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The ceremony was attended by the couple's family and friends, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II. There were also several American A-listers in attendance, such as Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, and George and Amal Clooney. The bride's friend, Jessica Mulroney, was initially rumoured to be her matron of honour, but it was later confirmed that there would be no maid or matron of honour, and that the bridal party would consist only of children. There were ten bridesmaids and page boys under the age of seven, including Jessica Mulroney's twin boys, Brian and John, and daughter, Ivy.
The wedding ceremony included the exchange of rings, with Markle's ring fashioned out of Welsh gold and Prince Harry's ring made of platinum. After the signing of the registers, the couple and their guests sang the national anthem, before Harry and Markle walked down the aisle and shared their first kiss on the steps outside the chapel. They then processed through the streets of London in an open-top Ascot Landau horse-drawn carriage. Following the ceremony, all 600 guests were invited to a luncheon reception hosted by the Queen at St. George's Hall.
The wedding ceremony also included a sermon by Bishop Michael Curry, the head of the Episcopalian Church in America. Bishop Curry's sermon was a call to action, evoking love's ability to heal even the deepest wounds and its power to bring about positive change in the world. His message of love was described as "riveting" and "extraordinary", capturing the attention of both the elite crowd in attendance and the global television audience.
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The wedding's attendees
The Wedding Attendees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a star-studded affair, with a host of famous faces in attendance. The ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle, a venue with a rich history of royal weddings.
The Royal Family
The royal family was well represented at the wedding. Prince Harry's older brother, Prince William, served as his best man. Their father, Prince Charles, was also in attendance, as was Queen Elizabeth II. Prince George and Princess Charlotte, along with five other young bridesmaids and three page boys, added a touch of adorableness to the occasion.
Celebrities
The wedding had a host of celebrities in attendance. Meghan's friends Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, and Abigail Spencer were there to show their support. Suits co-stars Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams, the latter with his wife Troian Bellisario, were also present. Harry's ex-girlfriends Cressida Bonas and Chelsea Davy were among the guests, as were celebrity couples George and Amal Clooney, Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford, and Victoria and David Beckham.
Politicians
In a break with tradition, an official list of domestic and international political leaders was not required for the wedding. Prime Minister Theresa May, Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn, and other prominent politicians were notably absent. The only politician invited was former Prime Minister Sir John Major, who had a special connection to the princes after their mother's death.
Others
The couple's wedding also included some unexpected guests, such as Idris Elba, who served as the DJ, and Elton John, who performed at the daytime luncheon. Oprah Winfrey and James Corden were also spotted among the attendees, with Corden reportedly arriving in a Henry VIII costume.
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The couple's rings
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding bands were crafted by Cleave and Company, the same jeweller that created Meghan's engagement ring. Markle's wedding band was made from Welsh gold, gifted to her by Queen Elizabeth II. Harry's ring was a platinum band with a textured finish. Both rings were crafted in the Cleave workshop.
Prince Harry's decision to wear a wedding band was notable as not all men in the royal family choose to do so. His brother, Prince William, for example, does not wear a wedding ring due to personal preference. Similarly, Prince Philip did not wear a wedding band during his 70-plus years of marriage to Queen Elizabeth II. However, Harry's father, Prince Charles, has worn a wedding ring through both his marriages.
Meghan Markle's engagement ring was a custom three-stone design featuring diamonds from the late Princess Diana's jewellery collection. Prince Harry designed the ring with the help of Cleave and Company. The centre diamond is a large cushion-cut stone sourced from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for the couple. The ring also features two side stones from Princess Diana's collection.
In 2019, Meghan's ring collection expanded with the addition of an eternity ring, gifted by Prince Harry for their one-year anniversary. At the 2019 Trooping the Colour ceremony, Meghan was seen wearing a thin micro-pavé band, having left her engagement ring and eternity ring behind for the royal tour of South Africa.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018 included an American Episcopalian preacher, Bishop Michael Curry, who delivered a sermon.
Bishop Michael Curry is the head of the Episcopalian Church in America.
Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle was episcopalion because Markle chose to be baptised and confirmed out of respect for the Queen's role as the head of the Church of England.
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