It wasn’t only a popcorn moment, but also a hankie/tissue moment, it turned out.
When Prince Harry first gazed at Meghan Markle at the altar, lifted her veil, and her eyes locked lovingly with his, the world, we’re quite sure, went into a collective swoon, and that included the men (CNN’s Richard Quest and Anderson Cooper did) and the prematurely jaded millennials. It was a moment that needed neither words nor music, when even veteran news anchors confessed to tearing up, as did millions of eyes the world over.
As the Chicago-born Most Reverend Michael Curry—presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church and who delivered the wedding address—said in an interview after the rites, it was all visual communication between the newlyweds, and the world held its breath to decode it.
To us, the first stirring image was that of Prince William and Prince Harry walking together to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle—such a down-home, tight bond between brothers. At that instant, what flashed in one’s mind was the sight of the two brothers, one sad morning in 1997, walking behind the coffin of Princess Diana—two young boys lost in pain being devoured by the public eye.
And, as the world would learn through the years, the young princes preserved the memory of their mother by making her a part of each and every milestone they celebrated, like on this wedding day. It’s as if they insist on her presence every time. Now, what mother’s heart wouldn’t melt?
Even if you think it could just be the handiwork of the royal household’s spin masters who know how to tug at your heartstrings—the People’s Princess, after all, is an icon whose tragic romance and death unsettled the British monarchy—still, any mother could empathize with William and Harry.
Been there, done that
Now, here sat Harry, his eyes speaking so much of anxiety and anticipation as he waited for his bride, beside William, who had a been-there-done-that mien.
Really, here was a wedding made not only for television, but more so for social media. But that it was a viral moment was only half the story.
The real story was how, through this wedding, the British monarchy, one of the world’s oldest and nonnegotiable institutions in the world, stepped—knowingly and willingly, was not shoved—into the modern world, and the diversity (i.e. multirace, civil rights) the world brings, and how the monarchy “brand” (why not? It has the most unique DNA) was sold to the millennials, GenZers who are into “influencers.”
Influencer Harry took influencer Meghan Markle for his bride, a Hollywood biracial actress who, as early as 11 years old, called out a top soap brand for a perceptively sexist ad, and who’s an unabashed feminist and an advocate of women empowerment.
“Women need a seat at the table, they need an invitation to be seated there, and in some cases, where this is not available, they need to create their own table” is our favorite Meghan quote.
You can’t get more modern or even postmodern than Harry (he’s had his own rock-the-boat headlines, too) and Meghan. The Queen must love her grandson so dearly to allow the modern world into her ancient, gilded one—love, and the wisdom and pragmatism to want the British monarchy to live on to the next millennium, of course.
The first in-your-face sign of modernity on the wedding day? The wedding dress that was a statement of exquisite simplicity. No glitter. No embellishment except for the subtle embroidery of the flora of the Commonwealth countries running the edge of the five-meter-long veil. No flesh baring.
Of course, the bridal fashion of royalty has always followed those design parameters, but Meghan’s wedding gown carried the formula to a more pronounced individual statement. Even the fabric was unembellished. No intricate lace there. (It is said that Meghan was channeling the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, who wore the iconic Narciso Rodriguez shift when she married John Kennedy Jr. in 1996. So Meghan’s peg wasn’t Audrey Hepburn, even with that Sabrina neckline.)
Jaw-dropper
Here was a modern bride with a contemporary yet classic taste—the minimalism of the new millennium, in contrast to the over-the-top and ostentatious ’80s and ’90s, and the retro-inclined early 2000s.
Queen Mary’s tiara was enough to serve as the jaw-
dropper. No need for neckpiece. Just Cartier Galanterie earrings and Reflection bracelet.
Just as modern was her barely there makeup and a hint-of-gloss lips, so that now, we swear, we won’t be touching that vampire red lipstick for a while.
Even the loose wisps of hair, which didn’t really obstruct her face but which netizens picked on, underscored the bride’s cool casualness and self-confidence.
The bride walked alone, for the most part—which commentators took to mean as the move of today’s independent woman. Then Prince Charles offered his arm for the rest of the walk—the distant monarch suddenly transformed into a warm father in our eyes.
That was just the beginning. Bishop Curry delivered a fiery, if uncontrolled, message on the power of love and quoted Martin Luther King, as the groom—his expression hard to read—held the hand of his bride, who looked so fondly at the sermon giver. The force of Curry’s delivery dispelled any doubt in your mind that this wedding was really good theater.
Then the black gospel group, The Kingdom Choir, performed an unforgettable “Stand By Me.”
The camera must have had a field day panning the faces of the monarchy and British aristocracy who perhaps never thought that they’d see the day when such a performance could happen at Windsor. However, Tina Brown had an eye-opening tweet—“Turns out Prince Charles is a gospel fan—this idea and invite came from Clarence House…”
Hollywood went to Windsor that day, said an effusive commentator, as the Clooneys, the Beckhams, Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, Serena Williams, among the A-Listers, filed into the Chapel.
Inclusion, diversity, said another anchor of the unmistakably multiracial character of the royal wedding. Evolutionary, not revolutionary, said another.
In this wedding, the British monarchy showed that it has the cunning to be in step with the modern world, and can tolerate, if not live, with its diversity, and that it also has the savvy to rule social media.
In short, it is cool, as millennials want cool.
But then, it could only be that, like in any typical family, the grandma and the dad just can’t say no to an endearing son.