Meghan Markle and Prince Harry get married
What happened: Meghan Markle, American actress, married the best prince in a wedding ceremony that garnered more viewers than anything in recent history. Everything from her dress, to the speakers, to the car they rode away in made headlines, for weeks before and after the event, and it was worth getting up so early on a Saturday to watch the whole thing.
Why it’s important: Anything having to do with the royal is always a big deal, even in America. We love all the pomp and circumstance, and certainly love a good party. These two things coalesce perfectly in a royal event, and a wedding takes it to a whole new level.
The most recent royal spectacle not only includes enough ceremony and fancy hats to last us all year, but this go around, it includes an American. To boot, Markle is mixed race, making her the first woman of color to join the Queen’s royal bunch. Markle was sure to inject her personality and culture into the ceremony, breathing a modern air into the matter.
Bishop Michael Curry traveled all the way from Chicago to London to speak at the event, and the choir sang the R&B classic, “Stand By Me.” Her mother, Doria Ragland, sat and watched her daughter proudly, as Prince Charles walked the newest royal down the aisle, bucking tradition on many fronts.
How to watch it: You can watch all of the wedding, which runs almost four hours, on YouTube. This might even be better than watching it live. You can pause and rewind Harry’s reaction when he sees her, and their adorable exchange at the altar.