BURLINGTON, New Jersey (AP) – With a gospel choir, black cellist and bishop, Oprah, Serena and Idris Elba in the audience and an African-American mother-of-the-bride, Saturday’s wedding of Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle was a blend of the solemn and the soulful.
Guess who’s coming to Windsor?
The ceremony married the pomp and circumstance of Britain’s most sacred institution with elements of black culture, drawing viewers not normally drawn to the spectacle of the monarchy.
“This was black history,” said Joy Widgeon, who attended a house party in Burlington, New Jersey, with her 6- and 8-year-old daughters in tow. “African-Americans were front and center at the royal wedding. This was the first time, and hopefully it won’t be the last. I am here for it.”
Race has loomed over the couple’s relationship from the beginning. After the pair went public in 2016, Harry lashed out in a public statement at what he described as “racial undertones” in media coverage and overt racism toward his then-girlfriend, who has lamented such views. At the announcement of their engagement last fall, many black women around the world cheered the news as a fairytale that doesn’t always include them.