It’s been said that when something important happens, you’ll remember exactly where you were, what you were doing and how you were feeling. This has proved to be true in many monumental happenings in my life. For every bit of exciting news or millstone, it’s like my mind preserved the details perfectly and stored them away.
For example, we celebrated the arrival of my college acceptance letter with carrot cake and White Zinfandel wine and I distinctly remember thinking that I don’t really like carrot cake. I was in my sixth period musical theatre class when I found out One Direction had broken up, and to this day, ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’ form Les Mis is the background music to that memory.
Well, on the morning of November 27th, 2017, I was sitting in bed, still in my PJs, debating whether or not I was too hungry to commit to making an omelet as I scrolled aimlessly through my Twitter feed to catch up with the day’s news.
That’s exactly where I was, what I was doing, and how I was feeling when I read about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement: In bed, hungry and scrolling on Twitter.
I should preface by saying that I’ve never really cared for the Royal Family. Other than being very skeptical of the circumstances of Princess Di’s death, I don’t generally spare the British monarchy a second thought. I can’t even accurately remember when the first Royal Wedding happened, much less where I was and what I was doing.
Not that I don’t care about Prince William and Kate, because I do quite like them, but I didn’t get the same feeling of overwhelming emotion I felt when I realized that Meghan Markle was going to be part of the Royal Family. When watching Kate walk down the aisle I didn’t feel half of what I felt as I watched Meghan.
Many will say that the Royal Wedding was over-hyped, and under any other circumstances I might have agreed. I can admit that the crowds and the preparations and the total tabloid domination is a bit much. But in this case this wedding marked so much more, meant so much more, than just an addition to the family.
Meghan Markle symbolises something new, and different, and downright inspiring for women – especially women of color.
Meghan, previously known for her character on the hit TV show “Suits”, is a mixed race, divorced, American celebrity. Her story is riddled with messy, publicized obstacles such as a broken home and a rocky relationship with her father. She is outspoken and unapologetic about her beliefs, even when they don’t necessarily coincide with what is expected of her. She was definitely not what the Crown had in mind for their family, but that’s what makes her so important and her wedding proved it.
In 2015, Meghan made a legendary speech at the UN Women conference. In her speech she advocates for women’s rights and equality, proclaiming that she is proud to be a woman and a feminist. She has done incredible work through the UN and World Vision, travelled all around the world on volunteer trips, and spoken out against current affairs.
When she became engaged to Prince Harry, many speculated that that would change. Many believed that now that she will face strict rules of conduct, her level of advocacy would have to be toned down in order to remain ‘proper’ and ‘refined’. But, on the contrary, the Duchess of Sussex has used her new platform to continue to champion the causes she’s always believed in.
Before getting married she continued to promote the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, even when she was meant to be celebrating the work of the Royal Foundation. In her wedding alone, she managed to break tradition in order to incorporate her values. She walked down a large portion of the aisle unaccompanied and didn’t include the traditional (and slightly sexist) vow of obedience.
On top of incorporating her work and her beliefs, she also incorporated an enormous part of herself as well. This Royal Wedding featured a black priest who spoke candidly and passionately as well as an all-black choir that serenated guests with ‘Stand by Me’. She showcased her culture proudly in front of hundreds of thousands of people, even though it was untraditional.
Meghan Markle is proof that fairy tales exist, and I don’t mean that whimsically or dramatically. Her life is real, and raw and previously perceived as ill-suited for royalty but she proved that it’s possible. She has had to compromise, of course, but she has refused to sacrifice the things she believes in for anyone – including the the Queen.
She will continue to defend the voice of women, and for that I can’t be any more grateful.
This was not just a royal wedding because there is nothing just about Meghan Markle – she is a breath of fresh air and going down in history as one of the most iconic Princesses in history.
