21 pop culture moments from 2018 we’re celebrating

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 19: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex depart after their wedding ceremonyat St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding

Few news items spark a mass frenzy quite like a wedding involving the British royal family, and this year’s between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was no exception. The service took place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and also on countless television stations and an official YouTube live stream that broadcast it across the globe. Media outlets feverishly covered every detail, from Markle’s dress designed by Givenchy artistic director Clare Waight Keller to the list of celebrity guests, including Oprah Winfrey and Elton John.

It’s easy to scoff at the pomp and circumstance, to dismiss it as shallow or antiquated. The fact is, though, that, despite its diminished importance as a political institution, the monarchy remains potent as a cultural institution, symbolically connecting Britain to its feudalistic and imperialist past. A centuries-spanning tradition, royal weddings can provide insight into how national values and mores have changed (or not changed), giving the country’s most visible figures a stage on which to, as historian Robert Lacey says, “demonstrate their relevance.” Harry and Meghan’s, for instance, made waves because the bride is a biracial American divorcée with a decidedly non- aristocratic background, but the marriage also required her to quit her acting career and join the Church of England.

Besides, the relatively inconsequential nature of these events is what allows them to function as feel-good entertainment. They fuel fairy-tale fantasies, and in the age of Brexit and Trump, they offer a refreshing vision of dignity and unity. If the world is going to be a dumpster fire, the least it can do is let us spend a day marveling at ridiculous hats.