No one is ever going to accuse me of being a fan of the Royals.
In fact, more than once last week I had winced as were reminded incessantly of the impending nuptials of Prince Harry and his American princess, Meghan Markle.
But since I was up anyhow working on our website early Saturday (it's an occupational hazard, don't ask), and since I wanted to make sure we had coverage of what was clearly something a lot of people were interested in, I flipped on the TV for the live coverage from "across the pond."
I have to admit I was somewhat stunned.
This didn't seem like a "Royal Wedding."
It struck me as much more of an American affair.
But more than anything else, both Harry and Markle appeared to be something that is not always said of the Royal Family. They actually looked happy.
I'm thinking a lot of this was Markle's touch. The entire event struck me as being a much more American affair.
Much has been made of Markle's biracial background - her mother is African American, her father is white.
Much of the ceremony reflected Markle's heritage, highlighted by the powerful sermon delivered by the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the first black presiding bishop of the American Episcopal Church, which touched on the themes often noted by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including the struggle for civil rights.
Curry's voice cascaded through St. George's Chapel as he intoned about the "power of love."
Then there was the predominantly African American Gospel Kingdom Choir delivering a heartfelt rendition of the Ben E. King pop standard, "Stand By Me."
While the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex were making their nuptials official, those in attendance were regaled with the virtuosity of the first black winner of the BBC Young Musician competition, 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
This was not the stuffy royals so often lampooned. This was a new generation of royals, ones that looked much more like the diverse nation and world we all inhabit.
All hail Harry and Meghan.
Jolly Good Show!
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