The Royal Wedding

Today, Prince Harry, the second in line to the throne married Meghan Markle. They had beautiful weather, and the crowds showed up in their droves, along with a number of world press. All eyes were on them; criticizing and scrutinizing every aspect of the day, from the cars, to the dress, to the veil. I can’t imagine the pressure that both Harry and Meghan, and in fact all of the family members of the Groom, and the Bride. Whilst all weddings come with their own pressures, the sheer amount of coverage, must have made the day seem even more daunting for those involved.

I watched the coverage of the wedding at home with my family, and there were some things that struck me. Obviously the dress was beautiful, and simple and elegant (and let’s face it, that train was just epic!). Meghan’s hair and make up was flawless. Again, I can’t even begin to imagine how scared she must have felt with so many eyes on her.

As the bridesmaids, flower girls and page boys arrived, the nerves were almost palpable, even through the television screen. Harry looked incredibly nervous, and so did Meghan when she stepped out of the car and began the solo procession down the aisle to the point where she would meet Prince Charles, who walked her down the remainder of the aisle, in place of her father. When she got to that point, Prince Charles spoke to her; words that probably no one else would hear, and she smiled.

Then, looking up the aisle, her eyes met with those of her soon to be husband, and in that moment, there was almost a sharp intake of breath, as they looked at each other, and the nerves seemed to leave them, to be replaced with pure love and joy. In this moment, they were not Prince, and Princess To Be; they were simply two people, deeply in love. That love came across so strongly that I defy anyone to have not felt it.

The words from the film ‘Notting Hill’ came to mind for me, where Julia Roberts’ character tells Hugh Grant that she is “just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her”. This, to me perfectly encapsulates this Royal Wedding. It was so markedly different to Will and Kate’s wedding, and I think this was both necessary and apt. As third in line to the throne, the responsibilities of Harry are obviously far less than William, and the ceremony, while completely beautiful and still totally reverent, showed this as a blending of two very different cultures came together in a way previously unseen for Royal events.

It is this that makes Prince Harry, and (Princess) Meghan seem so much more approachable than some of the other Royals. It this ceremony, they showed a truly human side, where pomp and circumstance still played a part, but was not the sole preoccupation of the day.

Thinking back over the ceremony, the one overriding feeling that stays with me is that of Harry and Meghan’s love. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other, and though they were surrounded by more people than I can count, when looking at them, it was as if there was no one else there at all, and almost gave the impression that we were invited guests to their own private moment.

There has been nothing like this wedding before, and it only adds to the idea of the Royals becoming increasingly approachable. As they enter into married (and hopefully, family) life, I pray that the love that I saw displayed today only grows, and that they can bring happiness to each other and those around them.