INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
London: Cheering and waving British flags for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, crowds gathered outside the
ancient walls of Windsor Castle on Saturday for a royal wedding that supporters hope will help recast the 1,000-year-old monarchy for the
21st century.Hours before the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth bestowed the title of Duke of Sussex on her grandson, a step that means the star of
the TV drama "Suits" will become a duchess when she marries Harry.As sunlight bathed the turrets of Windsor Castle, thousands of excited
fans gathered behind barriers
Police armed with semi-automatic rifles patrolled streets and watched from rooftops."This is a moment when we can all celebrate the rebirth
of the royal family," said Kenny McKinlay, 60, who had come down from Scotland and was heading to Windsor by train."It's a time when all the
nation can come together rather than being divided
It's a day when you can be proud to be British." People camping outside Windsor Castle take a nap
(Reuters)The couple, who met on a blind date in 2016 and fell in love in a tent under the stars in Botswana, will tie the knot at the
15th-century St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, home to 39 English monarchs since 1066.More than 100,000 fans are expected to cram the
narrow roads of Windsor, about 20 miles (30 km) west of London
Visitors had to pass through police search points set up around the castle.Hundreds of TV crews from around the world have descended on
Windsor for the union of Harry, 33, sixth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, a divorcee whose mother is African-American and
father is white.Modern BritainTo some black Britons, the wedding embodies a more modern Britain where background is no bar to even the most
elite and traditional of institutions.To others, it is an irrelevance or mild distraction from the schism of Brexit, which has deeply
divided the United Kingdom; polls suggest that most Britons will not bother tuning in.The hour-long ceremony begins at 1100 GMT.The bride
will arrive at the church with her mother, Doria Ragland, 61, with whom she spent Friday night at a luxury hotel
Harry was staying at another hotel with elder brother and best man Prince William, whose daughter Charlotte and son George will be among the
bridesmaids and page boys.In a walk that will lead her into one of the world's grandest royal families, nicknamed "the Firm", Markle will
enter the chapel unescorted, with her bridesmaids and page boys. Fans of the royal couple rest while waiting for the wedding
(Reuters)Markle, born and raised in Los Angeles, will then walk to the quire, about halfway down the church, and join heir-to-the-throne
Prince Charles to proceed to the altar where his son, Harry, waits.Her own father Thomas Markle, 73, a lighting director for TV soaps and
sitcoms, pulled out this week, telling the U.S
celebrity website TMZ he had had heart surgery on Wednesday.Confusion over his attendance marred the build-up to the wedding, which had been
choreographed for months by royal aides, and his name still appears in the order of service.On Friday, Ragland met Queen Elizabeth, 92, and
her husband Prince Philip, 96, who will be among the senior royals in the 600-strong congregation.The service will be conducted by the Dean
of Windsor with Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the Anglican Church, overseeing the exchange of vows.A black
bishop, Michael Bruce Curry, will give the wedding address, while Lady Jane Fellowes, sister of Harry's late mother Princess Diana, will
deliver the reading.No wow to obeyPrime Minister Theresa May, who along with other politicians was not invited to the wedding, sent a
message saying: "To all of those joining the national celebration with street parties and other events, have a wonderful day."In departures
from British royal custom, Harry will wear a ring, while Markle will not vow to obey her husband.In among traditional hymns, a choir will
perform American soul singer Ben E
King's 1960s hit "Stand by me". People waved flags and cheered outside Windsor Castle.After the ceremony, the newlyweds are expected to
greet some of the 1,200 members of the public invited into the castle grounds before starting a carriage procession through Windsor.A
reception will be held in the castle's St George's Hall before 200 guests join the couple at an evening event at the nearby Frogmore House
mansion.The newlyweds are not immediately leaving on honeymoon and will carry out their first official engagement as husband and wife next
week.The British remain broadly supportive of the monarchy, albeit with a sense of mild irony about the pomp and pageantry that accompanies
it, though most have deep respect for Queen Elizabeth after her 66 years of service as head of state.Harry, along with brother William and
his wife Kate, are at the forefront of efforts to modernise the monarchy by talking openly about their feelings."It is patently obvious -
the more you say, the more you can be examined," said royal historian Hugo Vickers
"Everything moves on gradually - but there are certain risks, and there is a lot to be said for maintaining the mystique."© Thomson Reuters
2018(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
