Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on May 19 2018. Their wedding stoked a frenzy of controversy and discourse across all royal circles. A little more than six months after their initial engagement, the couple wanted to do something special to handfast. This progressive ceremony upended longstanding monarchical practices, eliciting both enthusiasm and embarrassment from other members of the royal family.
Her wedding robe included an impeccable silk tulle veil created by Givenchy designer Clare Waight Keller. The veil was especially notable for its exceptional detailed hand embroidery. Each small botanical pattern was a nod to the Commonwealth and each one of its 53 member nations. Keller did design the show-stopping bridal gown, with a bateau neckline and sculpted bodice. It exquisitely drew attention to Markle’s tiny waist, as well as perfecting sweeping three-quarter length sleeves.
There was one thing the Queen apparently wasn’t too pleased about—her ambivalence over Markle’s wedding dress. Royal author Sally Bedell Smith claims that Markle concealed the secret of her dress from the Queen. This unexpected decision led to a drama around Markle’s choice to wear a veil. This decision quickly became a focal point of outrage. Other royal divorcees, such as Queen Camilla and Princess Anne, did not wear veils or white wedding dresses.
“The Queen herself suggested that Harry should wait a year.” – Hugo Vickers
Although the Queen made her recommendation, this did not stop the couple from continuing to plan their future wedding. Vickers noted, “He did not take her advice. Instead, as we know, the wedding went ahead just over six months after the couple’s engagement.” This decision was a clear message that Markle would have her royal wedding on her own terms.
The Queen would have been crushed. As for the ceremony, Harry had gone outside of tradition by choosing the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate over the ceremony and skipping over the Dean of Windsor. Russell Myers stated, “The Queen was upset that Harry had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, instead of the Dean of Windsor.”
Beyond these positive attributes, there was salt feedback from the other kinfolk. The Duke of York was said to have been peeved that Harry and Meghan’s wedding wouldn’t be shown on the big three networks. In order to respond to this concern, a special effort was made to convince a local company to video-tape the ceremony.
As their wedding date drew closer, Markle’s commitment to wearing a veil was a point of contention. Someone close to the monarch remarked on the situation: “You get on with it. It’s nothing to do with me.” This interplay of loyalty and expectation, tradition versus modernity was in many ways indicative of the greater royal family at this time.
