INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became man and wife in a closely watched royal wedding.
It was a modern
wedding for a modern British royal couple - he a semiretired helicopter pilot, she a retired actress
There was something comforting and traditional in the 15th-century music performed in the 16th-century Gothic chapel at Windsor Castle, but
there was a lot of new stuff, too - with distinct American moments, and especially African-American notes.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's
wedding went off with nary a glitch
It was professional, well-produced, secure, one-performance-only global entertainment, meant not only to join man and woman, till death do
them part (ahem, a reminder), but also to propagate the royal brand and introduce viewers to the next act in the long-running drama known as
the House of Windsor.The couple - both in their mid-30s - will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Maybe not a big step up in status for Prince Harry, but for California girl Markle, whose mum is a Los Angeles yoga instructor and whose
father is a retired Hollywood lighting director - well, that's a leap.About the theme of old and new:There were ruddy-faced, locked-jawed
royal family members in morning coats, and a few in top hats.And Prince Charles looked swell as he walked Markle partway down the aisle.But
the American guests were scene-stealers, including tennis star Serena Williams, the TV personality Oprah Winfrey - and the Clooneys, George
and Amal, in the A-list seats across from the royal family in the Quire beside the choir (better get that right). George Clooney and his
wife (L) and Priyanka Chopra (R) were among the royal wedding guests. The 600 people inside St
George's Chapel dutifully stood at the end and belted out the national anthem - "God save our gracious queen, long live our noble queen!" -
as the queen herself accepted the honors.Her majesty was frocked in a delicately flared dress of lime, lemon, purple silk - a spring-season
Popsicle - which the 92-year-old monarch managed to pull off.Between the ancient music, the Bach and Handel, the wedding guests listened to
Karen Gibson and the Kingdom Choir singing in swaying gospel style the classic "Stand By Me," by Ben E
King, and once upon a time covered by John Lennon.Then there was the address, the rousing wake-up-and-praise-Jesus sermon by Bishop Michael
Curry, the first African-American to preside over the Episcopal Church.Within minutes, Curry was trending on Twitter. Bishop Michael Curry,
was the first African-American to preside over the Episcopal Church His sermon, on the power of love, was heartfelt, theatrical, folksy
Not everyone in Britain got it
The BBC's cutaways to the perplexed faces of some of the royals were priceless
But it was among the most memorable moments.Speaking directly to Harry and Meghan, who were seated and holding hands, Curry began by
Martin Luther King Jr. "There's power in love
Anyone who has ever fallen in love knows what I mean," he said at the beginning."Love can help and heal when nothing else can," Curry said
"Love can lift up and liberate for living when nothing else will."Near the end of his remarks, Curry got a laugh when he said, "With this,
We got to get y'all married."Markle arrived for the service in a 1950 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, with her mother, Doria Ragland, by her side
(One of the sideshows of the past week was whether Markle's 73-year-old father was well enough to walk his daughter down the aisle as
He was not.) Prince Harry wore frock-coat uniform of the Blues and Royals
(AFP)Markle emerged and the dress was revealed
She wore a simple, elegant wedding gown
Fashion reporters called it a confident dress
It was not a sexy dress, but it was a beautiful dress, an assured statement.It was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the
first female artistic director at the French fashion house Givenchy
Kensington Palace reported that Markle and Keller worked closely together on the design.From Kensington Palace: "The focus of the dress is
the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasizes the slender sculpted waist
The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza
The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity."Before his bride's arrival, the red-bearded Prince Harry marched with a
happy gait toward the chapel's West Door, alongside his best man, his older brother and the second in line to the throne, Prince William,
Duke of Cambridge.Both Harry and William wore the frock coat uniforms of the Blues and Royals regiment
Bespoke, cut and sewn by hand, Harry was wearing his aviator wings and a medal honoring his service as an Apache helicopter pilot in
Afghanistan. Harry appeared just a little nervous.Meghan was camera-ready
She smiled and hit her marks, like the seasoned professional she is.After the "I dos," the couple emerged and boarded an Ascot Landau
carriage, pulled by four Windsor Grey horses
The horses were lively - and they trotted through the streets of Windsor town in a fast 25-minute loop that revved up the crowds, though the
speed of the procession disappointed some who wanted a longer look after waiting for hours. The couple emerged and boarded an Ascot Landau
carriage pulled by four Windsor Grey horses and trotted through the streets of Windsor
(AFP)"It was spectacular," Jayne Ralph, 50, a retail manager from Vancouver, said of the moment the newlyweds passed by
She noted that it was quick, just a few seconds, and suggested that because some people had slept outside overnight, it would have been nice
if other royals could have driven by, too, and offered a wee wave.Ralph also couldn't stream the wedding ceremony over her phone - as all
journalists in the city can attest, the WiFi and cellular coverage was patchy at best - but she heard the ceremony piped over loudspeakers
Many people sang along to "Stand by Me." "Being here with the crowds, and singing - it was quite moving," she said.Meanwhile, within the
castle walls, the guests who had listened on loudspeakers reflected on the service
Yvonne Roberts, 74, and her daughter Lesley Roberts, 50, said they liked it very much."It wasn't traditional, but it was obvious it was what
And it's their day," Lesley said.Yvonne said, "you just want them to be happy, don't you"The pair sang along with the well-known hymns
"I couldn't hear Meghan's vows," said Yvonne, "because of the airplanes." (Windsor Castle is on Heathrow Airport's flight path.)She added:
"But I think I said 'amen' at the right moments."(This story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is auto-generated from a
