Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Wedding Vows
The royal wedding may still be two months away, but avid speculation about everything from Meghan Markle's dress to the flavor of the couple's cake has already hit a fever pitch. In between the star-studded guest list and the anticipated titles they'll receive, royals watchers will wait with baited breath for another element of the televised ceremony: the vows.
Just like any other betrothed couple, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will promise to love each for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health for the rest of their lives, but listen closely on the big day and you might notice something unusual.
First Prince Harry, or more specifically, Henry Charles Albert David, will make his promises. Then Meghan, or Rachel Meghan, will make hers. Wait, what?! That's right; Meghan Markle's real name is actually Rachel - just like her character on Suits. Queen Elizabeth II recently used it in her official letter giving her consent to the marriage, so it's likely the name Meghan will go by in the ceremony.
It's unclear why the American actress goes by her middle name, but based on past interviews, her parents have called her Meghan or "Meg" almost her entire life.
When Kate Middleton wed Prince William in 2011, the Duchess also used her given name (not Kate) in the ceremony. "I, Catherine Elizabeth, take thee, William Arthur Philip Louis, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward," she stated.
Since the royals tend to have a lot of names, this can sometimes get confusing - especially when you combine wedding jitters with a multi-million person audience. In fact, when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles in 1981, she actually mixed his name up, saying "Philip Charles Arthur George" instead of "Charles Philip Arthur George."
Another key element to listen for in the vows that day will be the omission (or inclusion) of a promise to obey. Princess Diana set royal precedent when she declined to "obey" her husband in her vows, a decision that "delighted" Dr. Edward Carpenter, the Dean of Westminster Abbey at the time, according to the New York Times.
The Duchess of Cambridge followed suit decades later, also skipping a promise of obedience, but it hasn't always been that way. Besides Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, and Princess Anne's inclusion of the word, both Sarah Ferguson and Sophie Rhys-Jones more recently vowed to obey their princes in 1986 and 1999 respectively. Even so, it's unlikely Meghan Markle will make such a statement.
"Given the level of equality so clearly on display between Harry and Meghan, it's highly likely that she too will choose to forgo the custom," royals expert Victoria Arbiter told Town & Country. "Meghan has been very vocal in her push for gender equality and this will be one more area in which her personal choices will have the full support of her husband-to-be."
Town & Country reports that the Church of England offers multiple versions of marriage vows that include or omit the word. While Kensington Palace hasn't confirmed yet which vows Meghan and Prince Harry will say, it's hard to imagine the outspoken feminist would adhere to a somewhat archaic tradition.
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