Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Church Service, Carriage Procession - May 19, 2018

[Rudolph]

Respectable numbers in Britain. I’m sure the ratings will be through the roof in America.

More than 17 million tune in to watch Harry wed Meghan as BBC wins the TV royal wedding battle | Daily Mail Online

 

[Mbruno]

Respectable numbers in Britain. I’m sure the ratings will be through the roof in America.

More than 17 million tune in to watch Harry wed Meghan as BBC wins the TV royal wedding battle | Daily Mail Online

In a country of 65 million people or so, 17 million is way more than respectable. How were the ratings in Canada (given the prominent role of the Mulroneys and Meghan's Canadian connection plus the Commonwealth/royal connection obviously) ?

 

[Curryong]

I don't know about Canada but in another Commonwealth country, Australia, the Royal wedding was a great success in terms of ratings, especially for the two leading free to air channels 9 and 7. Other channels ran the Royal Wedding on the night as well.

This is a country, remember, with a strong republican movement. It's also a place in which TV executives become ecstatic if viewing figures reach the 900,000s.

https://mumbrella.com.au/royal-wedding-tv-ratings-518647

 

[Juliette2]

Yes Hunter and Rose were there. She looked amazing. But they weren´t seated next to Hugh´s family.

Thanks DisasterMaster! I need to find a picture now!!

I'm not at all surprised that Charles likes gospel music! He has great culture, he is intellectually very curious and adventurous, is terribly well-travelled and has many interests! I wish people got to "know" Camilla and he a little bit better.

 

[Pranter]

Yes I'm still upset about the camera work. I was livid that they basically missed the curtsy and that second kiss. Whoever was doing the camera work shouldn't be allowed to do it again. Ever.

You and me both!!! I've been moaning about that since yesterday when it happened!

Wasn't it the BBC behind the camera inside??? Like the curtesy isn't one of the BIG things ....


LaRae

 

[Osipi]

Perhaps the camera crew were not advised ahead of time exactly when it would happen and they felt safe moving away from the couple at the time figuring once they started moving and got in front of the Queen, they'd get the bow and the curtsy.

I really had to laugh too when Harry and Meghan exited the Chapel. As soon as they hit the sunshine, it was time to kiss. No hesititation. No positioning first but just got right down to business.

 

[Pranter]

I always thought Doria is VERY nervous rather than unhappy (she took a deep breath after she entered the church and sat down). Maybe a bit complicated feeling (happy for her daughter but sad that they probably can't always stay together) but definitely not unhappy.

Nervous and emotional...this isn't just a regular old wedding between two regular folks who might live several hours from her. She's turned her daughter over to a Royal family across the ocean...this family will become Meghan's life. The pressures, the fishbowl life...it's enough to make any parent have reservations on behalf of their child.




LaRae

 

[US Royal Watcher]

Nervous and emotional...this isn't just a regular old wedding between two regular folks who might live several hours from her. She's turned her daughter over to a Royal family across the ocean...this family will become Meghan's life. The pressures, the fishbowl life...it's enough to make any parent have reservations on behalf of their child.




LaRae

It was a bittersweet day for her. I was surprised that she only arrived a few days before the wedding (I am sure she was probably talking to Meghan several times a day. But I think she is very private and wants to avoid all the eyes on her. She doesn't want to go through what the Middletons have gone through.

I am now convinced that she wouldn't have wanted to walk Meghan down the aisle--although she probably would have if the wedding had been a bit smaller. I hope that she, Meghan and Harry can create a dynamic that works for all of them.

 

[wyevale]

not at all surprised that Charles likes gospel music!

Nor me.. HRH is extremely catholic in his musical taste,and interested in almost everything..

 

[Ista]

Nor me.. HRH is extremely catholic in his musical taste,and interested in almost everything..

Yes, anyone who has been paying any attention to Prince Charles knows that he has excellent taste in music and a lot of different areas of interest and contacts in the music world. I thought the music at the wedding had his fingerprints all over it.

 

[Mbruno]

Nor me.. HRH is extremely catholic in his musical taste,and interested in almost everything..

The most "gospel" element of the music selection was actually the final "This Little Light of Mine" piece, which was complete with the clapping and all that. Unfortunately, we (the audience) could only barely hear it in the background as Harry, Meghan and the Royal Family had already left the chapel when they started playing it and the cameras cut to kiss and the carriage arrival.



The background music is heard below.It would have been more interesting to have actually heard/seen it inside St George's Chapel.

 

[Juliette2]

Perhaps the camera crew were not advised ahead of time exactly when it would happen and they felt safe moving away from the couple at the time figuring once they started moving and got in front of the Queen, they'd get the bow and the curtsy.

I really had to laugh too when Harry and Meghan exited the Chapel. As soon as they hit the sunshine, it was time to kiss. No hesititation. No positioning first but just got right down to business.

Technically, it's the director's faults, not the crew. There may have been a camera pointing at them the entire time but it's the director who decides to "cut" to a certain angle. I wonder if in the days ahead they'll come up with the correct shot! During the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana there were many parts that weren't seen on live tv but later in the year a documentary was released which showed different images. It included a video of the Queen trying not to laugh after the musical director (who was wildly gesturing!) knocked off a lamp....Very funny. I think the documentary was called a Family Wedding or something like that!

The most "gospel" element of the music selection was actually the final "This Little Light of Mine" piece, which was complete with the clapping and all that. Unfortunately, we (the audience) could only barely hear it in the background as Harry, Meghan and the Royal Family had already left the chapel when they started playing it and the cameras cut to kiss and the carriage arrival.



The background music is heard below.

I definitely missed it! Thanks for providing the link!

EDITED: I just went back and listened to it! I wish they had sung that instead of Stand by Me in Church! It was beautiful!

 

[Ista]

The most "gospel" element of the music selection was actually the final "This Little Light of Mine" piece, which was complete with the clapping and all that. Unfortunately, we (the audience) could only barely hear it in the background as Harry, Meghan and the Royal Family had already left the chapel when they started playing it and the cameras cut to kiss and the carriage arrival.



The background music is heard below.

I wish we had been able to hear this better, but I thought the music spilling out of the church while Meghan and Harry stood on the steps and then headed to the carriage was actually a lovely moment: it was a great send off into their new life together and the work they intend to do. It let everyone know what their intentions are in the years going forward.

 

[Osipi]

Yes, anyone who has been paying any attention to Prince Charles knows that he has excellent taste in music and a lot of different areas of interest and contacts in the music world. I thought the music at the wedding had his fingerprints all over it.

Not only fingerprints on the music but absolutely big sticky fingers in the clergy that led prayers during the service. A lot of people definitely noticed Bishop Curry's reference to love sustaining people during the times of Antebellum South but as far as I know, no one has picked up on Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin who led one of the prayers for Harry and Meghan. A simple Google search will tell you much more about this wonderful and passionate woman.

The selection of the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Archbishop Anba Angaelos definitely points to Charles. This is man that is eclectic when it comes to matters of faith, IMO, and just may signal some changes he'll make when his time comes. That's a subject for another thread though.

 

[Ista]

Not only fingerprints on the music but absolutely big sticky fingers in the clergy that led prayers during the service. A lot of people definitely noticed Bishop Curry's reference to love sustaining people during the times of Antebellum South but as far as I know, no one has picked up on Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin who led one of the prayers for Harry and Meghan. A simple Google search will tell you much more about this wonderful and passionate woman.

The selection of the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Archbishop Anba Angaelos definitely points to Charles. This is man that is eclectic when it comes to matters of faith, IMO, and just may signal some changes he'll make when his time comes. That's a subject for another thread though.

I noticed and appreciated both of the clerics, but had no idea that their inclusion indicated Charles might have had a hand in their selection. I will definitely look up both of them.

Yes, Charles has very wide ranging interests when it comes to spiritual matters, but I agree that that is a (fascinating) topic for another thread.

 

[Osipi]

I noticed and appreciated both of the clerics, but had no idea that their inclusion indicated Charles might have had a hand in their selection. I will definitely look up both of them.

Yes, Charles has very wide ranging interests when it comes to spiritual matters, but I agree that that is a (fascinating) topic for another thread.

After reading more, its quite possible that it wasn't only Charles that picked out Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin but perhaps also the Queen. ?

 

[TLLK]

That is also something which struck me. Not only were there no family members on her side of the Quire (besides her mother), but her friends, with the exception of her Northwestern pals, seem to be all recent acquaintances.

I'm glad to know that there were some friends sitting there who come from that part of Meghan's life. IMO it was a bit sad that there were no representatives from the Markle/Ragland families or her childhood years.

 

[Curbside]

https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/05/royal-wedding-ratings-viewers-comparisons/

Interesting article on TV ratings for three major royal weddings: C&D, W&K, and H&M. The article goes into detail on the role social media and internet streaming play in calculating ratings.

 

[Osipi]

I don't find it unusual at all. When I first married at 20, I didn't have any childhood friends attending. By that time, we had long moved on with our lives and went down different paths. I had my best friend from high school as my maid of honor but other than her, all the friends attending were from my adult years.

 

[AnneLo]

Does anyone know why the Queen was sitting in the second row? I don’t remember ever seeing her there, including Edward and Sophie’s wedding at St. George’s.
The first thing that caught my attention was that Doria was in the second row and I found it very odd. Then I realized her seat was the equivalent to the Queen’s. They were clearly regarded as the prime seats of the event, but it didn’t look like it. For me it seems that Jessica Mulroney got the best seat in the entire chapel (if Meghan didn’t want to pick a maid of honor to not point a favorite among her friends, it failed), specially because its equivalent on the other side was empty.
I think the empty seat it was just about not having anyone in front of the Queen rather than her sight, and again, it makes me wonder why she was not in the first row in the first place. Either way, the empty seat for Diana was a lovely interpretation, and even if unintentional, I think Harry himself would have loved it.

Another thing I didn’t get was why Charles took the right entrance instead of the front one. I would expect the Queen and Philip to do the same, but I suppose it is related to their age and fitness to the stairs. But Charles was the one who issued all the invitations, it would have been nice to acknowledge all of the guests. Doria as his equivalent would be taking the front door too, of course. Charles couldn’t because the Queen couldn’t? Does anyone m know?

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I'm glad to know that there were some friends sitting there who come from that part of Meghan's life. IMO it was a bit sad that there were no representatives from the Markle/Ragland families or her childhood years.

I think it is sad and to me it speaks volumes.

 

[AnneLo]

At Edward and Sophie's wedding the Queen was the mother of the groom. She is the grandmother at this wedding.

Yes, but she is not your average grandma, she is the Queen. At William and Kate’s she was in the front row, Charles right after on Philip’s left. I think the Queen would get the prime seat in any wedding in the UK, even in those where she has no relations with the grooms lol

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Yes, but she is not your average grandma, she is the Queen. At William and Kate’s she was in the front row, Charles right after on Philip’s left. I think the Queen would get the prime seat in any wedding in the UK, even in those where she has no relations with the grooms lol

The seating is different in St George's-Charles had to leave his seat twice during this wedding and would have had to scramble past his mother and father. At Westminster the family were seated in chairs and the area was open-no railing-in front of the Queen or anyone.

 

[Lee27]

Doria has no other children nor has she remarried, so what family would she have sitting with her?

 

[HRHHermione]

Another lovely article about what this wedding meant to so many:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44185751?SThisFB

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Doria has no other children nor has she remarried, so what family would she have sitting with her?

I think some people were thinking Doria's half brother. I don't really know how close they would be though. He's several years younger than Meghan.

 

[Ish]

Yes, but she is not your average grandma, she is the Queen. At William and Kate’s she was in the front row, Charles right after on Philip’s left. I think the Queen would get the prime seat in any wedding in the UK, even in those where she has no relations with the grooms lol

I think requiring the seat in front of you to be empty so you have a clear view means that even if you’re not in the front row, you’re still in the front row.

Honestly, I think the Queen and DoE’s searing was probably about numbers and location - how many seats are in the front row, how far down would they be if they sat in the front, how much would they have to shuffle down to be in that seat?

William and Charles had to be near the end of the row, as they had to be in and out of their seats through the ceremony. Assuming that Camilla and Kate would be seated close/with them (Camilla was beside her husband, Kate on the other side of Camilla), that would stick the Queen and DoE down 4 seats if they sat in the front.

Where they were seated was actually better - right on the end at the front of the church, with a clear view of the aisle and the proceedings. They didn’t get disturbed by anyone having to get up to be part of the ceremony, and they didn’t have to shuffle past anyone when they arrived (which was after everyone else) to get to their seats.

 

[Mbruno]

.

The selection of the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Archbishop Anba Angaelos definitely points to Charles. This is man that is eclectic when it comes to matters of faith, IMO, and just may signal some changes he'll make when his time comes. That's a subject for another thread though.

I think it points to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, if I recall it correctly, met the Coptic Archbishop in the aftermath of the horrible beheading of Coptic Christians by ISIS militants led by the British-born "Jihad Joe". I may be wrong though.


In any case, visiting clergy from other churches in British royal ceremonies is not something new.

 

[Pranter]

I don't find it unusual at all. When I first married at 20, I didn't have any childhood friends attending. By that time, we had long moved on with our lives and went down different paths. I had my best friend from high school as my maid of honor but other than her, all the friends attending were from my adult years.

Same here...I had 1 childhood/school friend at my wedding and she was my maid of honor and we are still friends.

Meghan has a very small circle of friends...personally I do as well. There's about 5 or 6 folks who I consider the inner circle (outside family) ..and some of them are inner inner circle (there's 1 or 2 of those in that amount).

Most of Harry's guests are not part of his inner circle. It's the obligatory social guests and folks he's worked with etc.


LaRae

 

[AnneLo]

At Edward and Sophie’s the Queen was sitted where Harry and Meghan were yesterday. I don’t remember if the Wessexes ever sat during their wedding, I suppose they didn’t. Did the grooms ever sat in royal weddings before? I remember that William and Kate did, my memory doesn’t go any further.

I suppose is not a big deal to stand for one hour on your wedding day (although Curry’s speech makes me wonder lol).

I got the all Charles leaving twice thing and I agree that was definitely the main reason for the sitting choices. Still, it just looks strange to have the Queen on the second row. Same for Doria.
They moved Doria up there to be the Queen’s equivalent, for sure, but it looked even weirder because it was Jessica in the front row, not close family like on Harry’s side. I would have moved Doria to the front row and left her real life seat empty so nobody else would be the Queen’s equivalent. Jessica arrived later with the kids, I know, but I don’t think Doria would mind to stand up for one second to let Jessica take the sit on her left.

Whoever made the sitting chart had some tricky decisions to make, for sure.