Sarah Mitchell
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 was not a Catholic ceremony. Markle was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before her wedding to Prince Harry, despite having Catholic ties through her education. The wedding was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England, the mother Church of the Anglican Communion. The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not the first royal wedding with Catholic elements, however.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 May 2018 |
| Location | St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Couple | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle |
| Officiator | Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Liturgy | Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England |
| Ceremony Style | Anglican |
| Guests | Approximately 600 people with a "direct relationship" with the couple, 200 close friends, and 1,200 members of the public |
| Meghan Markle's Religious Background | Attended Catholic school, baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before the wedding |
| Royal Family's Religious History | Complicated due to King Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church in the 16th century |
| Religious Restrictions | Catholics cannot be monarchs or in line for the throne; rules eased in 2013 to allow marriage to Catholics |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan Markle's Catholic school background
The royal wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was not a Catholic ceremony. Markle, a former actress, is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in the hit TV series "Suits". Her engagement to Britain's Prince Harry was announced in November 2017.
Markle attended Immaculate Heart High School, a private, all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles. She was raised as a Christian, although there are conflicting reports that she was raised Catholic or Protestant. She was born on August 4, 1981, at West Park Hospital in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Doria Ragland, a former makeup artist, and Thomas Markle Sr.
Markle was described by her high school theology teacher as a "bright personality" in class. The teacher also recalled Markle's unbelievable compassion for others. She was friendly and welcoming to everyone, even though she had her own circle of friends. Markle took part in plays and musicals at the school, where her father helped with lighting.
Although Markle attended a Catholic school, she was never a Catholic herself. Her first marriage to Trevor Engelson was also not performed by a priest. It was an outdoor wedding in Jamaica, and Engelson is Jewish.
Under the law, the children of an heir who are raised Catholic would not be able to inherit the throne. This is because the monarch is also the Head of the Church of England, a Protestant Anglican church established by the royals' 16th-century forebear Henry VIII. The last Catholic monarch was Mary Tudor, who was posthumously deemed "Bloody Mary" for her executions of Protestants.
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The Anglican Communion and Catholic Church
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was an Anglican ceremony. Markle was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before her wedding to Harry. This was necessary because, while the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 allowed heirs to marry Catholics, the law still prohibits the British sovereign from being Catholic. This is because the monarch is also the head of the Church of England, which is a Protestant Anglican church established by Henry VIII in the 16th century.
The Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church were much closer to each other, both doctrinally and morally, in Cardinal Newman's 19th century than they are now. The royal family has a complicated religious history, largely due to King Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church in 1533. The last Catholic monarch was Mary Tudor, who was posthumously deemed "Bloody Mary" for her executions of Protestants.
In recent years, there have been some moves away from this religious discrimination within the royal family. The Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, which allowed heirs to marry Catholics, is one example. Additionally, in 2015, the rules changed to permit senior members of the royal family to wed Catholics. Furthermore, in 2006, Lord Nicholas Windsor broke the mould by becoming the first royal family member since the Reformation to have a Vatican marriage. Albert, his first child, was the first royal child to be baptised as a Catholic since 1688.
Despite these changes, the Anglican Church still forbids divorced persons from having a church wedding if their new relationship contributed to the breakdown of their first marriage. This was the case for Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. However, this rule does not seem to be strictly enforced, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were allowed to marry in a church ceremony, despite Markle being divorced.
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The ceremony's Christian liturgy
The wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was an Anglican Christian liturgy. It was officiated by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who used the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony published in Common Worship, a liturgical text of the Church of England. The ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with approximately 600 guests in attendance, most of whom had a "direct relationship" with the couple. The wedding service followed the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony, with Meghan Markle processing down the aisle to meet the Prince of Wales, who escorted her to the altar where Prince Harry was standing. Prince Harry's maternal aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes, read a scripture lesson from The Song of Solomon in the Christian Bible.
The inclusion of African-American culture in the traditional ceremony was notable. The bride's bouquet, for example, included forget-me-nots, which the groom handpicked in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana. The ceremony also included a sermon by the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, as well as music performed by a black choir from the States. While the ceremony was an Anglican Christian liturgy, it did not include a Catholic prelate, which was notable given the presence of an Orthodox bishop and the late Cardinal-Archbishop of Westminster at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not without its controversies, particularly regarding Meghan Markle's religious background and previous marriage. Markle attended a Catholic school as a child, and her first marriage was a civil ceremony of some sort, which may have meant she was not in good standing with the Catholic Church. However, she was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before her wedding to Prince Harry, as required by royal tradition. This highlights the religious discrimination within the royal family, where a monarch cannot be Catholic, and heirs who marry Catholics may face obstacles to their ascension.
The royal family has a complicated religious history due to King Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church in the 16th century. This led to the establishment of the Church of England, of which the monarch is the head. The Act of Settlement of 1701 further secured the Protestant succession to the British throne by banning Catholics from succession. It was only in 2013 that the law was changed to allow heirs to the throne to marry Catholics, although the monarch themselves cannot be Catholic. This change in law meant that Meghan Markle's Catholic ties were no longer an obstacle to her marriage to Prince Harry.
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The royal family's religious history
The royal family has a complex religious history, largely due to King Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church in 1533. The monarch's role as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, a Protestant Anglican church, has resulted in religious divisions within the royal family.
In the past, the royal family has faced challenges due to the presence of Catholics in the line of succession. The Act of Settlement of 1701 banned Catholics from succeeding to the throne, and this discrimination against Catholics has persisted for centuries. The Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 made a significant change by allowing heirs to the throne to marry Catholics. However, the law still prohibits the monarch from being Catholic.
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle highlighted the religious complexities within the royal family. Meghan Markle's Catholic ties, including her education in a Catholic school, raised questions about the royal family's religious history. Markle was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before her wedding, addressing any potential obstacles to the marriage.
The royal family has also faced challenges due to divorce, which was previously not recognised by the Church of England. For example, King Edward VIII had to abdicate the throne to marry Simpson in a civil ceremony as the Church did not allow divorced persons to remarry if their first spouse was still alive. Similarly, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were unable to have a church wedding in 2005 due to the Anglican Church's stance on divorce.
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The absence of a Catholic prelate
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was an Anglican ceremony. The service was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated at the wedding. Notably, there was an absence of a Catholic prelate at the ceremony. This stood out, especially given the presence of an Orthodox bishop and the late Cardinal-Archbishop of Westminster's involvement in the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
While the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 allowed heirs to marry Catholics, it did not permit them to become Catholic themselves. This change in law enabled Meghan Markle, with her Catholic ties, to marry into the Royal Family. However, it is speculated that she had to be baptized and confirmed within the Church of England before the wedding. The absence of a Catholic prelate at the wedding may have been a subtle indication of the lingering religious prejudices and the historical tensions between the Anglican Church and Catholicism.
The presence of an Orthodox bishop at the wedding, alongside the absence of a Catholic prelate, highlights the complex religious dynamics within the Royal Family and the Church of England. While there have been moves towards religious inclusion, such as the 2013 Act, the absence of Catholic representation among the clergy at the wedding underscores the enduring sensitivities surrounding Catholicism within the Anglican Church and the Royal Family.
In conclusion, the absence of a Catholic prelate at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was notable, especially considering the presence of other religious leaders. This omission may be indicative of the historical religious divisions and ongoing prejudices within the Anglican Church and the Royal Family. While steps towards inclusion have been made, the wedding ceremony seemed to reflect a cautious approach to religious diversity, particularly regarding Catholicism.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was not a Catholic ceremony. Markle was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before her wedding to Harry. The wedding was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England.
The royal family has a complicated religious history, largely due to King Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church in the 1500s. Opposition to Catholics ascending to the throne dates back to this time. The monarch is also the Head of the Church of England, a Protestant Anglican church. The Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 changed the rules, allowing a monarch to be married to a Catholic, but the law still stipulates that the acting British sovereign must not be a Catholic.
If Meghan Markle were a Catholic, this would have been an obstacle to her marrying into the royal family until very recently. If Harry decided to become a Catholic, he would have to give up his crown. Additionally, under the law, should the children of an heir be raised Catholic, they would not be able to inherit the throne.
