LONDON—When Prince Harry marries American actress Meghan Markle in a pomp-filled ceremony on Saturday, it will mark a giant step in the modernization of the British monarchy, as its younger members increasingly take center stage and recast the family as a less tradition-bound clan.
The grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Ms. Markle have planned a wedding outside Windsor Castle that seeks to include members of the public. But the glare of media attention around the nuptials underscores continued tension between the royal family and the British press, which has in recent days ridiculed members of Ms. Markle’s family.
Britain's Royal Family
The line of succession
Queen
Elizabeth II
1
7
13
10
Edward,
Earl of
Wessex
Anne,
Princess
Royal
Charles,
Prince
of Wales
Andrew,
Duke
of York
12
11
17
14
Zara
Tindall
James,
Viscount
Severn
Lady
Louise
Peter
Phillips
6
9
2
8
Princess
Beatrice
Prince
Harry
Prince
William
Princess
Eugenie
4
3
5
15
16
Prince
Louis
Princess
Charlotte
Isla
Phillips
Savannah
Phillips
Prince
George
Note: Not all family members shown Source: The British Monarchy; Photos: Zuma Press (Charles, William, George, Charlotte, Isla, Savannah, Louise and James); Getty Images (all others).
The wedding between Prince Harry, the sixth in line to the throne, and Ms. Markle, a mixed-race, divorced star of the popular American television series “Suits,” marks a seismic shift in the once-stodgy reputation of the British monarchy, whose head, Queen Elizabeth II, is 92 years old. The ultimate trans-Atlantic celebrity marriage, the wedding represents a first-of-its-kind mix of Hollywood glamour with one of the most popular members of the royal family.
“Someone who has been divorced and doesn’t come from an aristocratic family shows the monarchy is adapting to a modern age,” says Vernon Mogdanor, a professor in U.K. constitutional history at King’s College London. Ms. Markle’s father is a white cinematographer, and her mother is an African-American social worker and yoga instructor.
Prince William and his wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, have helped reboot the image of the royal family by presenting a more polished image in the media than the previous generation of royals.
But Prince Harry, 33, and Ms. Markle, 36, promise to do more to bring the British aristocracy in step with modern Britain. Prince Harry has spoken out about mental-health issues and the emotional toll of the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, a change from the royal family’s buttoned-up demeanor. Opinion polls now name him as Britain’s most popular royal. Prince Harry also has more latitude in breaking with tradition than his older brother Prince William, who is second in line to the throne.
Indeed, while the pomp and circumstance of the ceremony Saturday will be rooted in centuries-old customs—including arriving by carriage and choosing children as bridesmaids—the wedding will break with tradition in other ways. At the reception, Ms. Markle is expected to give a speech, a first for a royal wedding, according to local media reports. And according to reports, Ms. Markle’s mother Doria Ragland may walk her down the aisle, in what would be another departure from convention.
A Windsor Wedding
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding includes a carriage tour through Windsor.
St. George’s
Hall
Round Tower
St. George’s Chapel
5
1
2
3
West Steps
Windsor Castle (detail)
WINDSOR
Frogmore House
6
4
1 p.m.
9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
4
1
Couple’s carriage begins procession
Guests arrive at castle’s Round Tower
11:20 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
2
5
Reception at St. George’s Hall
Groom, family members arrive at Chappel
Afternoon
Noon
3
6
Couple attends an evening reception
Queen, bride arrive, service begins
Note: All times are GMT.
Sources: The Royal Household; Google Earth (map)
The guest list is expected to include a range of celebrities and all of the senior British royals, from Queen Elizabeth II to the newest addition to the family, Prince Louis, the four-week-old son of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. But, unlike in past royal weddings, no political leaders will attend, and about 1,200 members of the public have been invited by the royal couple to view the wedding from within the castle grounds.
In recent weeks, British newspapers have breathlessly chronicled every detail of the nuptials, from the type of wedding cake (lemon elderflower), to feverish speculation on invitees (the Spice Girls? George Clooney?) and, of course, Ms. Markle’s dress.
Thousands of royal fans are expected to line the streets of Windsor, about 20 miles west of London, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the couple as they arrive at St George’s Chapel, founded in 1348, to exchange vows.
The royal family will begin arriving late morning for the noon ceremony. After Prince Harry and Ms. Markle tie the knot, the newlyweds, who have said they want to include royal fans in the celebrations, will go on a carriage tour through Windsor and greet members of the public.
The queen will then host a luncheon with about 600 guests in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, a space often used for state dinners. Later in the evening, the real party will begin: The newly married couple will host a private reception for about 200 guests at Frogmore House, an English country house about a mile away that’s been a royal retreat for more than 300 years.
British and American broadcasters are planning blanket coverage of the festivities, while cable channels and television networks are rolling out reality shows, documentaries and television series related to the event. More than 5,000 journalists and media representatives have registered for official positions in Windsor, along with more than 70 international television networks, according to Kensington Palace.
The media and the royal family have long had a complicated and, at times, troubled relationship. Since the romance between Prince Harry and Ms. Markle, who met on a blind date in July 2016, became public, the couple has been the subject of intense scrutiny in the press. On several occasions, Kensington Palace has intervened by issuing statements, including to condemn racial undertones in media coverage of Ms. Markle.
In recent days, the celebrity-news website TMZ.com reported that Ms. Markle’s father won’t attend the wedding after criticism in tabloids about his decision to pose for paparazzi photographs. He told the site that he didn’t want to bring further embarrassment to his daughter, and said he recently had a heart attack because of the stress.
Thomas Markle, 73, later told TMZ that he had changed his mind after receiving texts from Meghan, and wanted to walk his daughter down the aisle. But he added that he most likely wouldn’t be able to make it because of upcoming heart surgery.
After the reports emerged, Kensington Palace on Monday said Ms. Markle and Prince Harry asked for “understanding and respect.” “This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding,” the palace said.
Ms. Markle’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, told U.K. broadcaster ITV that journalists had rented the house next to Mr. Markle in Mexico and were following him everywhere, causing him “unbelievable” stress.
Other members of Ms. Markle’s family were also in the spotlight. British newspaper the Daily Telegraph said Tuesday that several members of Ms. Markle’s extended family who weren’t invited to the wedding had come to London this week. It called the arrival a “circus,” while the Times of London said they were “determined to milk everything they could out of their relationship to the royal bride.”
More on the Royal Wedding
Appeared in the May 17, 2018, print edition as 'A Modern Love Story, a More Modern Monarchy.'