It has been eight years since Meghan Markle walked down the aisle of St George's Chapel to marry Prince Harry in a memorable ceremony. The occasion proved to be a stunning celebration of the pair's romance, with people across the globe uniting to raise a glass to the newly-minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
After the televised church ceremony concluded, the newlyweds and their guests made their way to a lunchtime reception before an evening celebration hosted by Harry's now estranged father King Charles at Frogmore House. Sources suggest it was quite the bash, with attendees enjoying 'dirty burgers' and candyfloss while sipping themed cocktails including one called 'When Harry Met Meghan' - a nod to the beloved romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally.
The Speech That Left Guests Speechless
During the speeches, Meghan showed herself to be a thoroughly modern bride by standing alongside her new husband to deliver a few words - and it seems to have left many stunned. In her heartfelt 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.
However, royal biographers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand suggest that Meghan alluded to how she had been unable to use her voice during her period as part of the Royal Family in the speech. In the book Finding Freedom, they 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.
'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.' And apparently Meghan felt the same way, because she laughed, 'I know it's been a while.'
Comparison to The Little Mermaid
Years afterwards, Meghan addressed the matter of not having a voice head-on during her explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, revealing she had been silenced and drawing comparisons to The Little Mermaid. She explained she was stunned by the similarities between herself and the animated princess who also 'lost her voice' following her marriage to royalty.
She remembered an afternoon when she settled down at the couple's previous residence, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, to catch the film on television. 'Now, who as an adult really watches The Little Mermaid?' she joked to Oprah. 'But it came on and I was like, well, I'm just here all the time, so I may as well watch this.' And I went 'Oh my God, she falls in love with a prince and because of that she has to lose her voice'. 'But by the end, she gets her voice back,' she added.
The Speech in Her Own Words
In her and Harry's bombshell Netflix series released in 2022, Meghan disclosed exactly what she said in her wedding day speech. In the final episode of the six-part series, Meghan reads the speech from her phone while seated beside Harry and says her opening line 'got a big laugh' from guests.
She then read out: 'Onto the crux of why I wanted to speak tonight. First of all, it's been a while.' Continuing to recall her speech, Meghan goes on: '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.'
'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.'
