Members of the British royal family and celebrities from around the world gathered at Windsor Castle on Saturday in southern England to celebrate the union of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The wedding was touted to be the biggest social event of the year.
The couple exchanged wedding vows and rings in a grand ceremony attended by the royal family and 400 guests. Among those who turned up for the wedding of the year are Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hardy, Serena Williams, James Corden, The Beckhams - dressed in black - George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, James Blunt and the entire cast of Suits. Representing India was Priyanka Chopra, who is known to be a close friend of Meghan’s.
The wedding took place at St George's Chapel at Kensington Palace at noon on Saturday. Meghan, who was dressed in a wedding gown by acclaimed British designer, Claire Waight Keller - who last year became the first female Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy - made a bold statement by choosing to walk the aisle alone, instead of the traditional custom of being chaperoned and handed over the groom.
She was joined by Prince Charles - Harry's father and the Prince of Wales - after she reached the Quire, where the guests had been seated.
Prince Harry, who served the British army, was dressed in the traditional frockcoat of the Blues and Royals. His brother and the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, accompanied Harry as his best man. William and Kate's children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, accompanied Markle as page boy and bridesmaid.
The newly married couple, who has been names Duke and Duchess of Sussex, broke away from several traditions in their much-anticipated wedding. Meghan, a proud feminist, did away with the word 'obey' in her wedding vows, just like her predecessors, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Harry's mother Princess Diana.
The 36-year-old also did not let her husband speak on her behalf during at the wedding, having prepared her own speech. By giving her own speech, she becomes the first bride to do so in the history of British royal weddings.
Harry and Meghan also opted for a lemon elderflower cake with a buttercream topping and a sprinkling of fresh flowers over the traditional fruit cake seen in royal weddings earlier.
The wedding also omitted political figures from the guest list. The absence of British Prime Minister Theresa May and Barack and Michelle Obama, who are friends with Harry, was prominent.
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