Bishop says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love 'was so powerful' at the royal wedding

The Most Rev. Michael Curry delivered an impassioned sermon during the royal wedding that referenced slavery, quoted Martin Luther King Jr., and included the traditional African-American spiritual “There is a balm in Gilead.” But the speech, which got mixed reviews from audience members and on social media, had one main theme: celebrating “the power in love.”

According to Curry, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s passion and love for each other was palpable on Saturday and that’s why he went in that direction. “You could actually see when they looked at each other that their love was, actually even in that moment, reorienting the world around that love,” he said on NBC’s Today show. “I mean all of the divisions and all of the differences were being crossed, and worlds were coming together, and a new world was being created and that’s the power.”

He echoed that sentiment on Good Morning America, saying, “The reality is … the love between those two people, between that loyal couple, was so powerful, not only did we all show up, but it brought all these different worlds together.” He continued, “It brought different nationalities, different ethnicities, different religious traditions, people of all stripes and types, people of different political persuasions.”

Curry was well aware of how many people were watching him, and even directed his sermon to those beyond the chapel walls. While he admitted he was definitely “a little bit nervous” at the beginning, he explained that it quickly just “turned into a church and I was speaking to a young couple who are in love.”

Bishop Michael Curry didn’t quite believe it when he was invited to speak at the royal wedding. (Photo: Rex)
Bishop Michael Curry didn’t quite believe it when he was invited to speak at the royal wedding. (Photo: Rex)

He also described the newly named Duke and Duchess of Sussex as “very gracious.”

So how did Curry land the job in the first place? “One of the members of our staff told me the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office had called, and I said, ‘Get out of here! Is this an April Fools’ kind of thing?’ I just didn’t believe it,” he recalled. Then he had to keep it a secret for two months and even hide it from his wife.

Now that the secret’s out, though, he’s become extremely popular — and even got a spot on Saturday Night Live.

Watch the clip below:

For all things royal wedding, from details on Meghan Markle’s dress to cute pictures of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, click here. Want to relive every moment? Watch it all here.