The day has finally arrived for the much talked-about British royal wedding of actress and philanthropist, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry, and it is the biggest celebrity wedding in the world at the moment.
The couple, who will say “I do” today at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle, have excited the world starting with their courtship to the announcement of their wedding.
The excited Prince Harry went on twitter to pour out his emotion on his wedding to Megan Markel.
He wrote, “Absolutely thrilled and elated, Meghan and I thank you for your encouragement during this happy moment we’re glad you’ll share with us! You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
But the bad news is that Meghan Markle‘s father will not be attending the royal wedding.
Thomas Markle, Meghan’s father, told TMZ that he was to undergo a heart surgery which will prevent him from attending his daughter’s wedding. He said he would like to make it to London to walk Meghan down the aisle, because it depends on his health.
He also said he had received texts from Meghan telling him that she wanted him to be at her wedding.
“I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle,” he said. “Of course I’d walk her down the aisle. This is a historic moment. I’d like to be a part of history.”
But sadly, he won’t be part of it as it was reported that Prince Harry would now take the place of her dad.
However, Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, flew into London yesterday to be by her daughter’s side. She is separated from Markle’s father, Thomas, and works as a yoga instructor and social worker in Los Angeles, USA.
It will be Meghan Markle’s second marriage. She was in a relationship with actor and producer Trevor Engelson from 2004. They married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on September 10, 2011, and divorced in August 2013.
Since June 2016, Markle has been in a relationship with Prince Harry, who is sixth in line to the British throne.
Prince Harry and Markle met on a blind date that a mutual friend set up. The press began to report the relationship in October 2016. On November 8, 2016, the British royal family’s communications secretary released an official statement that addressed a “wave of abuse and harassment” directed toward Markle.
The statement described as sexism, racism and defamatory the stories directed at her, including an unspecified “smear on the front page of a national newspaper”. During a September 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, Markle spoke in public for the first time about her love for Prince Harry. Later that month, they made their first public appearance together at an official royal engagement at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada.
Markle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in theatre and international studies in 2003, she played small roles in several American television series. From 2011 to 2018, she portrayed the character Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits. Markle’s film credits include Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
Last year, she became engaged to Prince Harry and announced her retirement from acting.
This year, Time magazine selected Markle as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World”.
British Royal Weddings Don’t Come Cheap
When it comes to royal weddings – with all the VIPs, security and extravagance, the bill runs into millions.
When Lady Diana Spencer wed Charles, Prince of Wales, on July 29, 1981, it wasn’t dubbed the “wedding of the century” for nothing. Diana’s dress was a pricey $13,000, but the biggest expense was security and crowd control, which they spent $600,000 on, making the total cost of the wedding close to $70 million in today’s rate.
According to TheKnot.com, a typical wedding costs around $28,000, though many people, particularly celebrities, tend to go way above and beyond that budget.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Wedding
The wedding of the 21st century reportedly cost close to $34 million , $32 million of which went to security. It’s not easy being king (or future king). And the bride wore a dress befitting a future queen, which cost a whopping $434,000.
Harry and Meghan’s Wedding
Wedding planning company Bridebook has calculated how much they think will be spent on flowers, food, and entertainment and, of course, the dress.
Bridebook also guesses that the big day, taking place in Windsor today, will earn the couple a place on the list of the top ten most expensive weddings of all time – ahead of William and Kate’s (estimated to have cost £20million).
The experts says the bulk of the royal costs will be spent on security – with Meghan’s dress, the flowers, food and drinks coming in at nearly a million pounds.
Other costs associated with the day include the fact that Windsor will be locked down for the day, with a heavy police presence put in place, as well as crowd control and restrictions placed on shops and restaurants.
Prince Harry and Meghan will be hosting their wedding reception at Frogmore House.
Extra security measures may include snipers, undercover police and military tech, such as a counter-drone system, could rack the cost to upwards of £30million, according to Bridebook.
This huge security bill is expected to be higher than William and Kate’s wedding, even though their wedding was larger, due to the ongoing terrorist threat level.
Bridebook’s breakdown of some of the key costs include: £90,000 for 20 silver-plated trumpets that will announce the event £50,000 on the lemon elderflower cake from Violet Bakery in East London £110,000 on flowers to adorn the aisles of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and St George’s Great Hall £300,000 to hire the glass marquee for the evening reception in the grounds of Frogmore House £26,000 on sausage rolls and hot tea for the 2,640 members of the public who have been invited £30million on security measures £300,000 to £400,000 on Meghan’s dress. – Leadership.
