Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend church at Sandringham on Christmas Day. Photograph by Mark Jones.
I have a confession to make: I am in love with a much younger man – Prince Louis.
OK, so he’s only 3 weeks old but he has stolen my heart. Prince Louis is already a star — thanks to his shutterbug of a mother, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge — but even he will have to take a backseat this week as we get set for the Olympics of romance. I am talking, of course, about the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry May 19 at 7 a.m. (EDT).
As with any such event, this is not a sprint for the press but a marathon. In my guise as editor of WAG magazine, I have been among those whetting the appetite with wedding previews, such as May WAG’s story about the peony-passionate bride-to-be’s bouquet and how it will honor the matriarchs – past and present – of the royal family.
But reading alone is not enough. I must immerse myself in every last TV program. No detail will be too small, including and especially the fascinators – those headpieces that make women look like they’re wearing birds. Fortunately for all of us, Time magazine has put together an article on “Every Meghan Markle TV Special You Can Watch Before the Royal Wedding.”
Once the big day comes and you are sufficiently well-informed – or, should we say, saturated? – might I suggest an appropriate accompaniment? I intend to have an English breakfast ensconced in my cherry blossom-accented bedroom wearing my rhinestone tiara as I watch the nuptials on the telly and blog about it.
Now, why should we in America – who fought a revolution to be independent of the Crown – care, or anyone else for that matter? It seems silly to get wrapped up in people you don’t know. But celebrities are, to an extent, the digital age’s Greek mythology. Theirs are public narratives that we as a society can share, particularly at a time when many have lost faith in traditional institutions (and are bombarded daily by the unpleasantness of the Trump Administration). Few public narratives have been more absorbing than the British royal family. The late, lamented Princess Diana – whom I am sure will be there in spirit — called it a soap opera that went on and on. Let’s just say that it’s one of the world’s longest running shows, dating from Egbert, the first English king, in 827.
The latest installment has had some serious and unsavory overtones. If you’ve been following the engagement in the press – particularly, the British press – and the blogosphere, you know that Markle is being prejudged for being 1. biracial and 2. an American. Then there are those who wonder if a successful actress and independent-minded feminist can thrive amid the strictures of royal life.
The latter is a fair consideration but as for the former, why the rush to judgment? At a moment when there is renewed hatred of minorities here and abroad, perhaps Markle and her marriage to Prince Harry will help serve as a bridge.
I for one am eager to see their union and wish them well. Besides, I’m sure Louis will be watching.