Meghan Markle's wedding speech in 2018 included a quip about feeling silenced as a working royal that left guests stunned, according to royal biographers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.
The Duchess of Sussex married Prince Harry on Saturday, 19 May 2018, in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. After the televised church service, the newlyweds and their guests attended a lunchtime reception, followed by an evening party hosted by Harry's father, King Charles, at Frogmore House. Guests reportedly enjoyed 'dirty burgers' and candyfloss, along with themed cocktails including one dubbed 'When Harry Met Meghan'.
A Modern Bride Steps Up
During the speeches, Meghan stepped up alongside her new husband to deliver a few words, a move that left many speechless. In her address, she revealed she had "found her prince", paid tribute to the late Queen, and expressed gratitude to Charles for stepping in at short notice to escort her down the aisle.
In the book Finding Freedom, Scobie and Durand write: "A first for a royal bride, the move reinforced the idea that this American was no typical duchess."
"You could literally hear a pin drop", said a close confidant, who described the speech as a momentous occasion even for the Americans. "For her to have been quiet for as long as she had, and then have this really safe space where she could give these heartfelt remarks, it was a really special moment," the source said.
Hinting at Silence
The source added: "She spent so many years, whether on campus, on TV, or advocating for women to be empowered, speaking out. And she's respected that. She does have a lot of respect for the family and the institution that she has joined. But it's just a different way of living. We'd missed hearing her speak." Meghan reportedly laughed, "I know it's been a while."
Years later, Meghan addressed the issue of being stripped of her voice during her interview with Oprah Winfrey, revealing she had been silenced and drawing parallels to The Little Mermaid. She recalled watching the film at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace and joking to Oprah: "Now, who as an adult really watches The Little Mermaid?"
Full Speech Revealed
In the couple's Netflix series released in 2022, Meghan revealed precisely what she said during her wedding day speech. In the final instalment of the six-part documentary, she reads the speech from her phone while sitting alongside Harry, sharing that her opening line "got a big laugh" from the assembled guests.
She read out: "Onto the crux of why I wanted to speak tonight. First of all, it's been a while." Continuing, she said: "But mostly I wanted to share a story. A story about the man that I love and the way that we met. Let's call this a modern fairytale. Once upon a time, there was a girl from LA. Some people called her 'an actress'. And there was a guy from London. Some people called him 'a prince'. All of those people didn't fully get it. Because this is the love story of a boy and a girl who were meant to be together."
She continued: "They meet on July 3rd, 2016 in London and they giggle endlessly. They have their second date and he brings her cupcakes because it's 4 July. 'A bittersweet celebration', he says. Ironic really. Her country's independence from his country. Yet in this moment they know they don't want to be independent from each other."
"And after a month of long-distance courtship, they settle into the quiet of Botswana. And amidst whatever momentary worries that creep in, they look at each other and think, whatever world we're in. They would love and garden and travel and laugh, and rack up more air miles than any couple could have."
"And when the tides were rough, they squeezed each other tighter. 'Nothing can break us,' they'd say. 'For this love, she was a fighter.' I appreciate, respect and honour you, my treasure, for the family we will create. And our love story that will last forever. So I ask you to raise a glass to the astounding assurance that now life begins. And the everlasting knowing that, above all, love wins."
