It was the moment the world had been waiting for and it didn’t disappoint.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle held hands as they joined each other at the altar at St George’s Chapel in Windsor to become husband and wife.
Just moments earlier – shortly before midday – the door at the West Steps had opened and the congregation had stood to turn towards the entrance to see Meghan.
Just before the bride arrived, the bridesmaids and pageboys were ushered in by the Duchess of Cambridge, who helped coax them into their positions with an encouraging hand on their shoulder.
The children were handed flowers behind the door when one of the little bridesmaids began to cry.
The Cambridges’ nanny, Maria, lifted her up to comfort her, as Prince George looked up at the tearful girl.
A member of Prince Harry’s household bent down to help to adjust one of the bridesmaid’s dresses.
When Meghan appeared through the doors of the chapel, sunlight streaming in behind her, she turned to smile and wave at the children who were standing to her right behind the door.
Her tiara dazzled in the light of the chapel.
Meghan’s bouquet contained several flowers handpicked by Prince Harry from their private garden, Kensington Palace said.
Harry looked visibly emotional as he watched his stunning bride-to-be walk up the aisle wearing a wide-necked white gown by designed by the acclaimed British designer, Clare Waight Keller.
Waight Keller last year became the first female Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy.
There was a hush around the chapel as the wedding ceremony began and the crowds listened intently as the Dean of Windsor, David Connor, started proceedings.
The silence was only broken by the rumble of aircraft passing overhead and the odd champagne cork popping.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby then took over – as the ceremony was played through loudspeakers hanging on the side of Windsor Castle, so the crowds gathered on the streets outside could hear but not see proceedings.
The crowd in Horseshoe Cloister shouted a resounding ‘We will’ as the Archbishop of Canterbury posed the question inside St George’s Chapel as to whether the families and friends of Prince Harry and Meghan would support them in their marriage.
After the Archbishop asked if Harry would take Meghan to be his wife, and promise to ‘love her, comfort her, honour and protect her and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live’ there in the chapel in response to cheers outside as Harry answered: “I will.”
Meghan smiled as she answered the same.
The happy couple gazed into each other’s eyes as they exchanged vows.
The Duke of Cambridge, in his role as best man, then stepped forward to hand over the rings, with Harry and Meghan smiling as they placed the rings on each other’s hands.
Loud cheers could be heard from outside St George’s Chapel as the Archbishop of Canterbury proclaimed them husband and wife.
The Most Rev Bishop Michael Curry, the first African-American presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, gave an address titled the Power of Love at the service in St George’s Chapel.
He opened his speech with the words of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who said: ‘We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way.’
The bishop then added: ‘There’s power in love. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t even over-sentimentalise. There is power, power in love.’
The Episcopal Church is the US offshoot of the Church of England and forms part of the broader Anglican Communion. Meghan was baptised into the Anglican Church, which is headed by Harry’s grandmother.
Bishop Curry told the service: ‘There’s power in love. Love can help and heal when nothing else can. There’s power in love to lift up and liberate when nothing else will.
His rousing – but somewhat lengthy – speech caused Twitter to erupt.
‘I love this speech! But I feel the royal family are rolling their eyes,’ wrote one watcher.
‘Is it me or are the royal family trying not to laugh at the power of love speech,’ wrote another.
Just as Harry and Meghan were officially married, the horse-drawn carriage in which they departerd from St George’s Chapel was brought into Horseshoe Cloister.
Mike Tindall was seen rubbing heavily-pregnant wife Zara’s bump as the congregation waited for Harry and Meghan to sign their register.
Mr and Mrs Tindall are expecting their second child.
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland smiled at the Prince of Wales and took his hand as they joined the newlyweds in one of the chapel’s transepts to privately record their marriage.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the oldest children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, did not follow Harry and Meghan as they made their way back up the aisle.
Instead, the youngsters held their parents’ hands as they made their way out of the chapel.
Newlyweds Harry and Meghan then kissed on the steps of St George’s Chapel as onlookers cheered – and the start of a new life together began.
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
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