On Saturday, May 19, Henry Charles Albert David and Meghan Markle held their royal wedding at St. George’s Chapel in the Windsor Castle. Prince Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Sussex,and upon Markle the title of Her Royal Highness Duchess of Sussex.

  The wedding began with a buzz of excitement and anticipation as the guests awaited the arrival of the royal family. The royal family, including Prince Harry and Prince William, arrived first. Accompanied by her mother, Doria Ragland, Markle arrived later giving the world a glimpse of her dress designed by Clare Waight Keller. The timeless, classic dress featured a bateau neckline and a triple silk organza under skirt. Keller, the artistic director of Givenchy, stated, “It has been an immensely rewarding experience to get to know Meghan on a personal level. One I will forever carry with me.” The bride’s hair donned a veil with Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara holding it in place, adding a finishing touch to the dress.

  After her grand entrance, Markle made her way to the altar with the Prince of Wales as several page boys and bridesmaids, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, trailed behind. The groom and bride were seen to be whispering unheard words to one another when arm-in-arm.

  The ceremony subsequently began with the Dean of Windsor’s opening remarks, followed by his rendition of Lord of All Hopefulness. After the hymn and giving of rings, Prince Harry and Markle were proclaimed husband and wife by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

  A reading from the Song of Solomon earned an emotional reaction from Ragland. Reverend Michael Curry quoted MLK during his address. He said, “We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love, and when we do that, we will make of this old world, a new world.”               Lauren Bolton (9) said, “My favorite part was the reverend. The things he said about us being able to love instead of hate was really eye opening.”

  The wedding guest list included six hundred family and friends including princes, princesses, and A-list celebrities. Personalities such as Serena Williams, David Beckham, and James Blunt were amongst the guest list. Kristal Gildemeister (9) commented, “There were lots of well-known celebrities such as Oprah and George Clooney celebrating the marriage of Prince Harry, a British man, to Meghan, an African-American woman. It shows how far we have come.”

  St. George’s Chapel’s director of music, James Vivian, oversaw the variety of musical renditions that were to be performed. Numerous talented musicians were featured throughout the wedding including . These performers included 19-year-old cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and a gospel group by the name of Karen Gibson and the Kingdom choir.

  The royal wedding carried on with family members waving off the newlyweds as they embarked on their carriage procession through Windsor in the Ascot Landau carriage.

  Hosted by the Queen, the reception served an assortment of lunch dishes including scottish lengisines wrapped in smoked salmon and the lemon elderflower sponge wedding cake. During the lunchtime reception, Sir Elton John performed for the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

  Harry and Meghan were officially photographed by the renowned fashion and portrait photographer, Alexi Lubomirski, before leaving for their private nighttime reception at Frogmore House.

  From a newborn baby to an elegant wedding, this has been quite a year for the royal family. The wedding showcased the beauty of two cultures coming together and was filled with laughter and tears of joy.