Twitter Pippa at the wedding
And so the Royal Wedding 2018 came and went, with Britain’s Prince Harry marrying American actress Meghan Markle. There was a lot to dissect after the ceremony, which seemed to go without a hitch. Twitter filled with memes, gifs, jokes and tweets. You can see some of the best and funniest of them throughout this article, both the humorous and the touching.
On the plus side, there was the emotionalism of the ceremony. Prince Charles standing in for Meghan’s absent father, Tom, who was back in Mexico undergoing heart surgery after a photo scandal. The nods to the late Princess Diana, including the white forget-me-nots that she loved and which Harry picked himself for the bride’s bouquet. The groom’s seeming emotional reaction in awe upon seeing his bride for the first time as she joined him at the altar. The bride’s mother, Doria Ragland, appearing to almost tear up as her daughter wed a prince.
That didn’t stop people from finding the humor in the pomp and circumstance.
Pippa Middleton: Green Tea?
Pippa Middleton sponsored by Arizona #RoyalWedding (credit to my father)
People saw humor inspiration in a lot of the frocks.
There was also debate. Was the empty chair in front of the queen meant to symbolize the absence of Diana? No, it turns out that the chair in front of the queen is always left empty. That’s just protocol. (Too bad. It would have been moving had Diana been remembered that way.)
That Sermon!
There was debate over the fiery, passionate sermon of the Chicago-born preacher Michael Curry whose talk was highly praised outside the room but who received some awkward giggles and looks inside of it, as he spoke about fire and love in a style probably not commonly seen at Royal Weddings (but perhaps long overdue).
Royal reactions to that preacher are my new fave genre of TV
#RoyalWedding
Really?
Zara Phillips is DONE. #royalwedding
Oh, Elton.
This guy has a point. Thank you, Diana.
Lady Di TOTALLY sent this guy to steal the show on her behalf. #royalwedding
They Couldn’t Help It
just saying ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Royal Wedding was free of politics. Almost.
The Queen: Green Screen?
Look, if The Queen didn’t want this to happen then maybe she shouldn’t have come to the #RoyalWedding dressed as a green screen
People noticed that green was in. Not everyone liked that fact.
Good of the queen to dress as dipsy to keep the kids amused during the ceremony
Or was the Queen actually a minion?
I think it’s great The Queen is trying to modernise the Royal family by coming to #royalwedding dressed as a minion.
Prince Philip, Star Wars?
“Princess Leia, before your execution, I’d like you to join me for a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now” #RoyalWedding #StarWars
There was lingering debate over Meghan’s family. It seemed odd, to some, that she appeared to have invited only a single family member on the big day: Her mother. Was there no other family member she liked enough to invite to her wedding? Of course, who could blame her after the circus generated by her half-siblings, especially her half-sister on her father’s side of the equation (but what of her mother’s?)
Poor Chelsy
Seriously, why did Prince Harry’s exes go to the wedding anyway? Would you?
Royal Reactions
The faces of lots of people at the wedding drew laughs.
There was the debate over the dress. Some felt that Meghan looked elegant and classic, in the mold of the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (JFK Jr.’s doomed wife), and that the simple nature of the gown allowed Meghan’s natural beauty to shine through and put the focus on the emotion within the ceremony and on her and Prince Harry’s faces. If she’d gone too Hollywood or too gaudy, she would have been trashed for it.
Other people’s clothes inspired more memes and jokes, though.
Prince George: Goth?
Prince George is entering his goth phase
What was with those ruffles?
And Charlotte: What was with that tongue?
sprang break forever
You’ve got to love kids. They always liven up weddings.
This kid in the background is my new favorite #royalwedding
Photo Bomber!
You knew that one was going to become a meme.
When it came to Meghan’s wedding dress, many others were left wanting for just…. a little bit more. The dress was just…plain. Some felt it seemed a bit big or ill-fitting. Others longed for a little more pizzazz, even just more embroidery or something. At least Fergie had her groove on.
Best arrival since Maleficent at the christening. #royalwedding
There was the controversy over Kate Middleton’s dress because she’s worn it a couple times before (ever thrifty, the Duchess). There were the adorable bridesmaids and pages (could Princess Charlotte and Prince George possibly be any cuter? And that wave!) There was Pippa’s pregnancy. There were the Beckhams. Would it be too much to ask to smile?
The entire world to Eugenie and Beatrice:
There was some laughter to be had in the social media reaction. Poking fun at people’s frocks and people’s hats and people’s expressions always makes for a field day on Twitter. Because what’s a wedding without laughter?