Millions of viewers around the world tuned in on Saturday to watch the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from Windsor, a fairy-tale occasion rich of pomp, ceremony and poise that showed the best that Britain can offer. A picture-perfect day in the medieval confines of Windsor Castle, replete with beautiful flowers, waving crowds, festive bunting, the Household Cavalry — all combined to make this a truly special day for the happy couple.
But this royal wedding was also something different, one that merged the traditional with the modern, one that held hands across the Atlantic, and one that provided poignant reminders of history, race and creed. Bishop Michael Curry, the black minister from Chicago who gave the address to the couple and congregation, was reminiscent of Dr Martin Luther King, passionate in his conviction of the need and power of love. They were words and sentiments that reached far beyond the medieval confines of Windsor Castle, a reminder to all that care and compassion has the ability to change this blue planet we all share on its trips around the sun.
The wedding itself brought together elements of American slavery, as mentioned by Bishop Curry, but also a woman of American mixed race, a Hollywood actress and divorcee — almost the antithesis of what one might expect from a bride to be married into the House of Windsor.
If anything, the new Duchess of Sussex truly is a commoner, and one who adds a modern and exciting dimension to the institutions of state. Perhaps too she offers a portent that Britain now has changed its outlook on racial equality and its staid traditional values.
