It was as if all the world tuned in on Saturday to watch The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
This post will include all the following details:
- The Dress and Veil
- The Jewels
- The Flowers
- The Uniforms
- Pageboys and Bridesmaids
- Wedding Service
- The Procession
- Reception
- The Guests
The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The sun could not have shone any brighter on the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding day. The Queen bestowed a few new titles on the happy couple as a celebration of their nuptials. In addition to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they received the Scottish title Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and title of Baron and Baroness of Kilkeel in Northern Ireland.
The couple exchanged vows at St. George’s Chapel, on the grounds of Windsor Castle. You can read more about the gorgeous gothic chapel in a detailed post I wrote HERE.
The Dress and Veil
The Duchess wore a timeless couture gown by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. It was made from double bonded silk cady which has a soft matte luster.
The dress featured a lovely bateau neckline that gracefully framed her shoulders. The classic lines of the dress were achieved with six meticulously placed seams. The lines of the dress extended towards the back where the train was supported by an underskirt made of triple silk organza. The three-quarter sleeves emphasized her slim wrists and showcased her lovely bracelet.
Given that this was not a state wedding, the bride was in her mid 30’s and had been previously married, I thought the simple but stunning gown was an excellent choice. The dress allowed her truly stunning veil to steal the show.
The 16-foot long (5 meters) veil was made from silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers made from silk threads and organza. Each distinctive flora represented all 53 countries of the Commonwealth over which the Queen is the monarch.
In addition to the flora of the Commonwealth, the California Poppy (the State flower from Ms. Markle’s place of birth and yours truly) was also included. Wheat sheaves were symmetrically placed at the very front of the veil to symbolize love and charity.
The Jewels
The exquisite veil was held in place with Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara, which was lent to the Duchess of Sussex by the Queen. The tiara was made in 1932 and was given to the then-Princess Mary for her wedding to Prince George, the Queen’s grandparents. Both the tiara and brooch were given to Queen Elizabeth in 1953.
The tiara is made of diamonds and platinum. It is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections. Each section is pierced with interlaced ovals and has both large and small pavé set diamonds. The center brooch is detachable and features ten brilliant diamonds. You can read more about Royal tiara’s HERE.
The Galanterie de Cartier earrings have been worn by the Duchess on several previous occasions.
The couple commissioned Cleave and Company to make their wedding rings. This is the same company that made Meghan’s trilogy engagement ring. The bride’s ring was fashioned from a piece of Welsh Gold, gifted by Her Majesty the Queen. The groom’s ring is a platinum band with a textured finish.
The bride’s Reflection style bracelet is also by Cartier.
The Flowers
Florist Philippa Craddock did an amazing job in creating a floral wonderland both inside and outside St. George’s Chapel. The arrangements were created using locally sourced foliage, some of which was taken from the gardens and parkland of the Crown Estate and Windsor Great Park.
Ms. Craddock selected flowers and plants that bloom naturally in May and included branches of beech, birch, and hornbeam. In a nod to Diana, Princess of Wales, there was also a mix of her favorite white roses and peonies.
The bride’s bouquet contained flowers that Prince Harry handpicked from the gardens at Kensington Palace (heart melt).
The spring blooms included forget-me-nots, sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia, and sprigs of myrtle. The myrtle sprigs are from Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. You can read more on this special symbol in this post on Royal bouquets. The flowers were bound with a naturally dyed, raw silk ribbon.
The Uniforms
Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, both wore a Blues and Royals frockcoat. The Blues and Royals is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The frock coats are single-breasted in style with a stand-up collar and sleeves that feature figured braiding of a Regimental pattern.
Prince Harry was trained to be an officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served in Afghanistan twice through 2015 in the Army Air Corps, ultimately being named a Captain in the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals. He has also taken over the title of Captain General of the Royal Marines in 2017 after his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, retired from the formal position. That title is now Harry’s most senior military role.
The uniforms were accessorized with a white belt, a red-accented hat, black and red pants and white gloves, signaling the Major rank.
On the left side of his uniform, Prince Harry wore four medal ribbons in honor of K.C.V.O., Afghanistan with rosette, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Prince William’s braiding, known as an aiguillette, was bestowed to him when he was acknowledged as an Aide-de-Camp to the Queen in 2013.
Pageboys and Bridesmaids
The wedding party included Princess Charlotte and Prince George (Harry’s niece and nephew), Prince Harry’s godson Jasper Dyer, as well as Harry’s goddaughters Zalie Warren and Florence van Cutsem. Meghan’s goddaughters Remi and Rylan Litt, the daughters of close friend Benita Litt, and close friend Jessica Mulroney’s three children, twin boys John and Brian and daughter Ivy.
Clare Waight Keller also designed the six young bridesmaids’ dresses in the Givenchy Haute Couture Atelier in Paris. Each dress was created from Ivory silk Radzimir, with a high-waist and short puff sleeves. A double silk ribbon at the waist was tied at the back in a bow. Each little girl also wore white leather Aquazurra shoes. They were monogrammed with the bridesmaid’s initials and the wedding date.
The four-page boys wore miniature versions of the Blues and Royals frockcoat. As a special memento, their gold initials were embroidered on each of the shoulder epaulets.
Who was the cutest? Well, Princess Charlotte mimicked her Uncle Harry.
But I absolutely adored The Mulroney twins, Brian and John.
Their faces were priceless when they saw all the people in the chapel and heard the trumpets play.
A charming group photo.
Wedding Service
The service was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, the Rt. Revd. David Conner. The Most Revd. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated as the couple made their marriage vows. The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, gave the address.
Lady Jane Fellowes, Princess Diana’s sister, gave a reading from the Song of Solomon.
The carefully selected music featured a number of well-known hymns, some of which were Diana’s favorites. They were performed under the direction of James Vivian, director of music at St George’s Chapel. The bride walked down the aisle to a performance by Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas.
My heart may have softened a bit at the image of Prince Charles offering his arm to the bride.
The Choir of St George’s chapel was joined by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir. The Orchestra was conducted by Christopher Warren-Green, the State Trumpeters, David Blackadder and Luke Bond.
I don’t think I am alone in that I absolutely loved the performance of cellist Sheku Kanneh – Mason.
Did anyone else just crumble when Harry’s eyes filled with tears when he lifted Meghan’s veil?
Wedding Procession
Members of the Household Cavalry lined the staircase at St George’s Chapel as part of the wedding. The State Trumpeters and a Captain’s Escort from the Household Cavalry also provided support for the wedding procession. Streets within the precincts of Windsor Castle had members of the Windsor Castle Guard from 1st Battalion Irish Guards and Armed Forces personnel units that Harry is associated with.
Look at the joy on his face!
What we were all waiting for!
No one does Pomp and Circumstance better than the British!
You can read about the couple’s Ascot Landau carriage HERE.
Wedding Reception
A wedding luncheon for everyone attending the service was held at St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. Later in the evening, Prince Charles hosted a reception at the historic 17th century Frogmore Hall.
The bride wore a white Stella McCartney gown. The high neck gown was made of silk crepe. She accessorized with shoes from Aquazurra. The soles were painted baby blue.
Meghan wore the Cartier Reflection earrings which are part of a set that matches her bracelet from the wedding ceremony.
The Duchess also wore an aquamarine ring previously owned by Princess Diana.
The happy couple traveled to the reception in a silver-blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero. The vehicle was originally manufactured in 1968 and was converted to electric power.
The jaguar’s license plate featured the date of the wedding – E190518.
The couple commissioned Claire Ptak of Violet Cakes to make a lemon elderflower cake for the reception.
It was covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.
I bet it tasted like a heavenly bit of spring.
The Guests
What a right Royal sendoff!
The Queen looked smashing in a Stewart Parvin dress and Angela Kelly Hat. She wore the Richmond Diamond Brooch.
The Duchess of Cambridge wore a favorite Alexander McQueen coatdress and Philip Treacy Hat.
The bride’s mother, Doria Ragland, wore an elegant pale green dress and day coat designed by the creative directors of Oscar de la Renta, Fernando Garcia, and Laura Kim. Her hat was created by British milliner Stephen Jones. The Duchess of Cornwall wore a pink coat dress by Anna Valentine and a hat by Philip Treacy.
Princess Diana’s younger brother The Earl, Charles Spencer and his wife Karen.
Lady Kitty Spencer, the eldest daughter of The Earl, Charles Spencer, and his first wife, Victoria, wore a lovely green Dolce and Gabbana dress.
There were several celebrities attending the wedding. including George and Amal Clooney. Mrs. Clooney looked stunning in Stella McCartney.
Ms. Oprah Winfrey wore a long-sleeved, blush Stella McCartney dress and a gorgeous Philip Treacy hat.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews, wore the Hepburn dress by Fold. She is expecting her first child in October.
I imagine we will hear a similar announcement for this happy couple in the near future.
Best wishes to the bride and groom!
Laura
I think you did better coverage of the Royal event and had more background information than the BBC. Well done!
It was definitely a day that will go down in the history books. While they or they children will probably never reach the throne, they certainly have a lot of influence and exposure which the Royal family certainly need, not just now but as the next generation take over from QEII. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and research! As always, not notch 🙂
I loved watching the wedding and I love having you tell us all the details. Thanks so much for all your research and hard work.
Although I didn’t get up extra early to watch all of it, I did watch some coverage and cried. I’ve been looking forward to your informative update. Nice work, Laura! ♥
Great post, Laura! I recorded it to watch the next day ~ I’m so glad I did!
Excellent coverage, Laura! Even if you skipped my favorite part, the Michael Curry sermon which moved my heart. If only he spoke in my community, I’d go every week!
I loved every bit of it — and thanks for showing the Spencer women. Someone was speaking about them but I missed them on the red carpet.
My favorite bits, apart from the sermon? Charlotte’s wave! The aisle walk. Charles’ inclusion of Doria as they walked to the registry signing and again on the steps. The cellist. The flowers.
Splendid reporting — and thanks for all your lead-in posts!
Well done, Laura!! Very informative but easy to read.
Great recap, Laura, thank you. You answered my question on whether the bouquet had the tradutional myrtle. Whi2se jewels were the bracelet and receotion earrings, do you know?
I absolutely loved the Clooney wardrobes (so well complementing!), but also loved Lady Kitty Spencer’s. Pippa’ s dress has been described as the AZ green tea pattern (lol, by none other than Kalan, the YouTuber), and Camilla’s hat looked to me like an oversized vintage powder puff, lol. I could go on, but won’t. I said it on FB and I’ll say it here: Ave Maria is the one song that’ll bring tears, whether it’s a wedding or a funeral.
Sorry for typos….that should read whose and reception
Great post! I’ve been enjoying all your Royal posts! Thank you for sharing your love of the Royals!
Thank you for giving us such a beautiful post! I loved every second of it!
I didn’t watch the wedding, but I appreciated your recap. Thank you!
Amazing coverage dear friend. I so enjoyed it.
The bride looked simply lovely, without changing much from her elegant and simple style. I love her look !
My favorite ladies were the Earl of Spencer’s daughter with that stunning green dress with the floral skirt and Pippa Meddleton with that soft floral spring day style.
That bright yellow I didn’t particular cared for from Mrs. Clooney.
The children were adorable. The mother of the bride was very elegant with that gorgeous mint green outfit.
Beautiful family pictures. The Royal family was amazing to have orchestrated such a stunning wedding, thinking of Harry’s American bride with the Gospel singers, etc.
Thank you for sharing.
Fabby
Laura, I was thinking the same thing as a previous comment I just read: You built and created a better and more interesting report then was seen on the Internet. This was a thoroughly delightful read. I enjoyed the elegance and dreaming about what this all must have been like for Meghan. What a fairytale romance and wedding.
Laura, You have outdone yourself again. This is a fabulous post. I will be sharing it with all my friends.
I will reread again several times.
I thought all the photos were great and am especially impressed with the group picture. It is very hard to get that many people looking good. I also loved the cellist, the fabulous sermon, and I really appreciate seeing photos you found of wedding guests. I watched the wedding but not the reporting afterward so you covered a lot I missed.
Thank you for all your hard work. You deserve some days off!
Very well done! Loved all of your information and the best photos of the day. Hope to see you soon!!!
wow you have outdone yourself.. this degree of detail I have not found anywhere else.. thank you for putting it together
http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com.
I agree with the first commenter, you have done a better job than most of the written commentaries I have seen. The picture you found of Kitty Spencer made me like her dress, which I hadn’t been so fond of – I wonder if those flowers were printed or painted on – exquisite. Hadn’t noticed that Oprah;s shoes were backless, either, wish I could have those! Well done! Have an extra scone today.
Tell us more about the ‘lady of the lake’ book….
Thanks for this wonderful recap! I’m Canadian and I also loved the Mulroney twins’ joyful reactions!
Awesome post!! You have done a marvelous job in sharing some terrific photos of this royal wedding, some photos I have yet to see out in the media. :}
Doesn’t Prince Harry just look as happy as can be?!! You can tell that he is in. L♡’VE!
Beautiful posting, thank you for sharing ~
Thank you Laura for this great post. I have to say this is my favorite royal wedding. The modern combined with tradition. It truly was a fairy tale wedding. And my favorite photo was the twin’s expression behind Meghan when they entered the church. That one speaks volumes of joy!
Fabulous recap of this most wonderful wedding. I saw it after the fact but enjoyed every minute.