In a touching ceremony this morning, African-American actress Meghan Markle was joined in marriage to Prince Harry, an heir to the British monarchy, at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England. With her marriage to the prince, the son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Markle has been bestowed the title of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.
The wedding, a unique blend of African American and British traditional culture, had social media going viral for hours afterwards.
The bride is the mother of a white American father, and African American mother. The bride’s mother rode with her daughter from the hotel at which they stayed overnight to the vicinity of the chapel, and was featured prominently on the televised coverage of the wedding ceremony.
Breaking tradition Markel was escorted down the aisle to meet her groom by the father of the groom, Prince Charles. Markel’s father who was originally slated to attend the ceremony and walk his daughter down the aisle was unable to do so as he underwent heart surgery earlier this week.
Bishop Michael Curry, African American Presiding Episcopal Bishop from Chicago, USA, gave a very inspiring sermon at the ceremony. The bishop spoke of the power of love, both as it affects couples in love, and the wider world. In his message he quoted American civil rights leader, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to emphasize the “redemptive power” of love. “We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that we will be able to make of this old world a new world. We will be able to make man better. Love is the only way.”
After the sermon, a gospel choir, the Kingdom Choir, comprised of mainly black choristers, led by Karen Gibson went secular with their rendition of American Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me”, song in the gospel genre.
When the newly wedded couple, the Duck and Duchess of Sussex moved to the North Quire Aisle behind the alter, out of sight of the congregation, to sign the marital register, 19-year old Afro-British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason entertained. The young musician won the BBC Young Musician of the Year Award in 2016, becoming the first black musician to win that award. He was specially invited by Markle to perform at the wedding.
One of the officiating priests at the wedding ceremony was Montego-Bay, Jamaican born Rev. Rose Hudson Wilkins who led the couple and congregation in prayer, after the couple pledged their marital vows. Rev. Hudson-Wilkins is a Church-of England priest, who migrated to Britain from Jamaica to join her mother and study for the ministry. She is currently Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, priest vicar at Westminster Abbey and chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II.
After the wedding messages trended on social media with most commenting on the welcome intrusion of African American culture into the traditional stoic British aristocracy, displayed in the wedding ceremony. “Truly, this is a new refreshing day in Britain, thanks to the invasion of African American Meghan Markle, proudly introduced to royal life by the liberal Price Harry,” one tweet on Twitter read.
