May 23, 2018 The Skanner Page 13
Arts & Entertainment
A Royal Wedding Bridges the Atlantic and Breaks Old Molds
This weekend Meghan Markle, the 36-year-old star of “Suits,” became the Duchess of Sussex
WINDSOR, England —
The son of British royalty
and the daughter of mid-
dle-class Americans wed
Saturday in a service that
reflected Prince Harry’s
royal heritage, Meghan
Markle’s biracial roots
and the pair’s shared
commitment to putting
a more diverse, modern
face on the monarchy.
British reserve criss-
crossed with American
verve in a service that
broke molds and creat-
ed new ones. Choirboys
and a gospel choir; the
archbishop of Canter-
bury and the African
American leader of
the Episcopal church; a
horse-drawn
carriage
and flowers hand-picked
by the groom.
The wedding was a
global event, thanks to
Harry’s status as a se-
nior British royal and
Markle’s celebrity af-
ter starring on the U.S.
television series “Suits”
for seven years. Yet it
seemed somehow so per-
sonal — and they both
beamed like a couple
who couldn’t take their
eyes off each other.
In a rousing sermon
that highlighted a bit of
a culture gap between
outgoing Americans and
reserved Brits, the Most.
Rev. Michael Curry of the
U.S. stirred the congre-
gation from its fairy-tale
reverie, quoting Mar-
tin Luther King in in a
sermon that had some
reaching for hankies and
others shifting in their
chairs.
“There’s power in love,”
Curry said, his voice ris-
ing. “Love can help and
heal when nothing else
can. There’s power in
love to lift up and liber-
ate when nothing else
will.”
He also quoted from the
Song of Solomon in the
Bible: “Many waters can-
not quench love, neither
can floods drown it.”
Joining the couple were
a phalanx of celebrities,
many of whom shared
their wish to change the
world. Oprah Winfrey,
Idris Elba, Elton John,
George and Amal Cloo-
ney, Serena Williams,
James Corden and David
and Victoria Beckham
all watched from rows
of seats in the Gothic
masterpiece that is St.
George’s Chapel at Wind-
sor Castle.
The British weather
was — gasp! — sunny
and balmy, bathing the
ancient stones of Wind-
sor Castle in a beautiful
spring light.
Many in the throng
who waited outside also
embraced the trans-At-
lantic symbolism of the
moment. Sheraton Jones,
22, who is from Cali-
fornia but studying in
Britain, described it as a
melding of cultures.
“It was very touching,
it’s two different cultures
kind of coming together,
white silk boat-necked
dress by U.K. designer
Clare Waight Keller of
the French fashion house
Givenchy. Her sheer veil
— down to her waist in
“
DOMINIC LIPINSKI/POOL PHOTO VIA AP
By Danica Kirka, Jill
Lawless and Gregory
Katz, Associated Press
Doria Ragland takes her seat, prior to the start of the wedding
ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel
in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May
19, 2018.
it was just so surreal,”
she said.
In the United States,
this royal wedding was
embraced for its diversi-
ty and inclusivity.
“This was Black histo-
ry,” said Joy Widgeon,
who attended a house
party in Burlington, New
Jersey, with her 6- and
8-year-old
daughters.
“African
Americans
were front and center at
the royal wedding. This
was the first time, and
hopefully it won’t be the
last. I am here for it.”
Harry also invited bud-
dies from his 10 years of
military service — which
included two tours of
duty in Afghanistan —
and from many of the
charities he supports,
which have focused on
helping wounded veter-
ans and encouraging a
more open discussion of
mental health issues.
To kick off the festivi-
ties, Queen Elizabeth II
honored her red-headed,
33-year-old
grandson
with a new title: the Duke
of Sussex, making the
36-year-old Markle the
Duchess of Sussex.
The American actress
drew raves for her sleek
African
Americans
were front
and center
at the roy-
al wedding
front and billowing for
what seemed like miles
behind her — carried
floral references to all
53 countries in the Com-
monwealth,
countries
drawn mostly from the
former British Empire,
headed by Markle’s new
grandmother-in-law, the
queen.
Caroline
Burstein,
owner of Browns Bride,
a top London bridal bou-
tique, called the bridal
gown “a nod to Grace Kel-
ly, Audrey Hepburn and
every iconic wedding we
have witnessed through-
out the 20th and 21st cen-
tury. It’s perfect for her
and for the occasion they
are celebrating.”
The palace said Markle
also selected two other
plant designs to be on the
veil: Wintersweet, which
grows at Kensington Pal-
ace, where the royal cou-
ple will live, and the Cali-
fornia poppy, in a nod to
the bride’s birthplace.
Harry and best man
Prince William wore
white gloves and the
frock coat uniforms of
the Blues and Royals
army regiment, in which
Harry was once an of-
ficer. Harry also kept
his full red beard — a
style decision that had
sparked British betting
earlier.
Markle at first walked
down the aisle with 10
young page boys and
bridesmaids, then was
accompanied by Prince
Charles to the altar. As
his father and bride drew
close, Harry said: “Thank
you, Pa.”
To Markle, Harry said:
“You look amazing.”
Markle seemed poised
and confident as she de-
livered her vows with-
out so much as a quiver
in her voice. She smiled
broadly as Archbishop of
Canterbury Justin Wel-
by declared the couple
husband and wife. Har-
ry seemed a bit nervous,
but happy.
Other relatives in the
ceremony
included
4-year-old Prince George
and 3-year-old Princess
Charlotte, the oldest chil-
See WEDDING on page 14