The Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Celebrates the royal wedding
by Claire Law
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To use the example of the royal wedding to consider the significance of commitment in our own lives.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (The Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) and the means to display them.
- Have available the YouTube video ‘Harry and Meghan’s carriage procession through the streets of Windsor’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 2.10 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzzmHxurZKY
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Welcome the students to the assembly. - Start by saying that it would be difficult for anyone to have missed the special celebration that took place on Saturday 19 May: the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Explain that in today’s assembly, we are going to look at some of the highlights from the day and also take time to consider what we can learn from this special occasion. - Show Slide 2.
This shows Prince Harry and Prince William arriving at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, prior to the wedding. - Show Slide 3 and 4.
This is Meghan in her stunning wedding dress, which was designed by Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller. - Show Slides 5 and 6.
This is St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the wedding ceremony took place at 12pm. The Queen granted permission for the ceremony to be held in the chapel, which seats approximately 600. Some of the guests at the ceremony included George Clooney and his wife Amal, David and Victoria Beckham and of course many other family members and friends. The people closest to Harry and Meghan were seated in the part of the chapel called the Quire. This area also seated the choir who sang during the ceremony. - Show Slide 7.
The flowers for the wedding were designed by Philippa Craddock. The arrangements at the chapel and at the reception, and in the bouquet that Meghan carried, included sweet peas, lilies of the valley and jasmine. The bouquet also included myrtle: every royal wedding bouquet dating back to the wedding of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter in 1858 has contained at least one sprig of this plant.
Following the wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan donated the flowers to various charitable organisations. - Show Slide 8.
After the ceremony, Prince Harry and Meghan travelled by carriage from St George’s Chapel through the streets of Windsor, before returning to Windsor Castle. This enabled the many well-wishers to catch a glimpse of the newly married couple. Those lining the streets of Windsor also included military personnel from the Royal Marines and the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in recognition of Prince Harry’s involvement with the armed forces (including his two tours of Afghanistan).
Show the YouTube video ‘Harry and Meghan’s carriage procession through the streets of Windsor’. - Show Slide 9.
After their carriage ride, the couple continued their wedding celebrations with a lunchtime reception, followed by an evening reception at Frogmore House, the place where the couple had their engagement photos taken. - Show Slide 10.
Guests to the wedding and the evening reception were asked not to bring any traditional wedding presents, but instead to consider making a donation to one of seven charities supported by the couple.
- CHIVA, a charity supporting children and young people who are living with HIV.
- Crisis, a UK-based charity for homeless people.
- Myna Mahila Foundation, a charity empowering women in Mumbai’s urban slums.
- Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which helps bereaved armed forces children.
- StreetGames, a charity using sport to change lives across the UK.
- Surfers Against Sewage, a national marine conservation charity aiming to protect oceans, beaches, waves and wildlife.
- The Wilderness Foundation, a charity promoting the benefits and enjoyment of wild nature. - Now that Prince Harry and Meghan are married and she has officially joined the royal family, she will no longer be known by her former name. Instead, her new title is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. Harry’s new title is His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex. Although Meghan has married a prince, she cannot assume the title of princess: it is necessary to be born into the royal family to receive that title.
Time for reflection
As we take time to enjoy these photos and the highlights of the wedding, let’s reflect on what Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding – and in fact, the wedding of any two people - symbolises.
A wedding is the marriage ceremony and associated celebrations that two people undertake when they promise lifelong commitment to one another. The word ‘wedding’ means ‘joining’ or ‘combining’. Synonyms include ‘uniting’, ‘connecting’ and ‘linking’. A common image found on wedding cakes, cards and decorations is two interlinked rings, which helps to illustrate this meaning.
Show Slide 11.
A wedding is the moment when two people make a commitment to remain faithful to and supportive of one another for the rest of their lives. The traditional vows or promises that are said as part of a wedding ceremony include the words ‘to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health’. This is a huge commitment: a promise to be there for one another through both good times and difficult times.
Of course, not everyone gets married. In fact, most of us in this room are not currently married. But we all face situations where we make commitments, where we connect or make a link with other people, with groups or with a cause. A healthy friendship between two people, or among a group, involves a commitment. We commit to look out for one another, support one another and be honest and kind to one another. We might be committed to a sports team, an organisation, a friendship group or a charity.
Members of a sports team make a decision to support the team: to give their best and to turn up for training and matches to help towards the greater good and the success of the team.
People involved with any form of voluntary service group or charity make a commitment of time and energy, where they agree to join their skills and service with those of others to work towards the common good. What a generous thing to do!
There is something noble, courageous and generous in all of these commitments. We know that not all marriages last ‘till death us do part’. Sometimes, a relationship breaks down. Communication between the couple is hampered and there is a separation or divorce. In the same way, friendships, sports activities and community projects face issues. People leave the team, fall out, disagree.
However, making a commitment to work towards something positive together is a generous and courageous start. It is a sign of hope, of strength and of a commitment to community – to the belief that we are stronger together, with the support of other people. Prince Harry and Meghan made such a commitment recently. We, too, will have made important commitments to other people, or to causes. As we journey through life, there will be many more commitments that we can choose to make.
So, let’s pause for a moment to think about the commitments that we are part of now and the things that we might commit to in the future.
Pause to allow time for thought.
Prayer
We pray for Prince Harry and Meghan as they embark on their married life together.
We pray that they will be blessed with good health and happiness.
We pray that their relationship will be enriched with a spirit of co-operation and compassion for one another.
Pause to allow time for thought.
We think about other people we know who are making commitments to one another in marriage:
People who are engaged, planning a wedding or recently married.
We specifically ask God to bless (insert names of any staff who are getting married or have recently married).
Pause to allow time for thought.
We pray for the many commitments that we are part of,
The many ways in which we say ‘I do’ to being part of a friendship, a team or a community project.
We pray for tolerance and patience as we give our time and ourselves to the greater good.
May these experiences help us towards being less selfish and more generous with ourselves.
Pause to allow time for thought.
