The Royal Wedding order of service has been released by the Royal Family in advance of the nuptials of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. The program contains every detail about the service, from the vows that will be read to the musical selections that will be sung to the order in which attendees will enter St. George’s Chapel.
You can read the Order of Service here:
Kensington Palace announced, “The Official Order of Service for the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle has been made available for the public to download for free from 0001hrs Saturday 19th May. The Order of Service includes full details about the processions, music, hymns, prayers and readings. The Service is from Common Worship.” The order of service still lists Meghan’s dad, Tom Markle, as walking her down the aisle, even though he backed out after a photo staging scandal and heart surgery. Prince Charles will now take his place.
The Palace, which handles public relations for Prince Harry, expressed that the bride and groom put a lot of thought into the ceremony.
“Like any couple getting married, Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have taken a great deal of care in selecting all elements for their service. This has been a collaborative effort led by Prince Harry and Ms. Markle. They have also sought the advice of The Prince of Wales for the orchestral music before the Service begins,” the Palace wrote.
Here are some of the revelations in the Royal Wedding Order of Service:
Order & Time of Arrival
HRH Queen Elizabeth II attends a gala pre-wedding dinner held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park on April 28, 2011 in London, England.
The Order of Service lays out who will arrive when. Following protocol, Queen Elizabeth II will arrive last.
“At 11.25 am Members of the Royal Family arrive at the Galilee Porch and are received by the Dean of Windsor who presents the Canons of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Those in the Quire stand as they are conducted to their places,” the Order of Service says.
:At 11.40 am The Bridegroom and his Best Man arrive at the West Door and are received by the Dean of Windsor. All stand as the Bridegroom and his Best Man are conducted to the Bray Chantry Chapel. At 11.42 am Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess ofCornwall arrive at the Galilee Porch and are received by the Vice-Dean who presents the Canons of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Those in the Quire stand as they are conducted to their places. At 11.45 am the Mother of the Bride, Ms Doria Ragland, arrives at the Galilee Porch and is received by the Dean of Windsor and is conducted to her seat in the Quire.”
The program continues, “At 11.52 am Her Majesty The Queen arrives at the Galilee Porch and is received by the Dean of Windsor who presents the Canons of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Those in the Quire stand as Her Majesty is conducted to her place in the Quire.”
The Dean of Windsor Will Call Meghan By Her Real First Name ‘Rachel’
Getty
The Dean of Windsor will give a long statement that starts, “IN the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we have come together to witness the marriage of HENRY CHARLES ALBERT DAVID and RACHEL MEGHAN, to pray for God’s blessing on them, to share their joy and to celebrate their love.”
That’s right. Rachel is Meghan’s real name.
Meghan Will Not Promise to ‘Obey’ Prince Harry
Getty
The Order of Service reveals that Meghan will not be asked whether she promises to obey Prince Harry, removing that word from the wedding vows. “MEGHAN, will you take HARRY to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?” she will be asked. Daily Mail reported, “The Duchess of Cambridge did not promise to ‘obey’ Prince William in 2011, and neither did Harry’s mother the Princess of Wales in 1981 when she married the Prince of Wales.”
Harry will be asked: “HARRY, will you take MEGHAN to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”
Harry will also say: “I, HARRY, take you, MEGHAN, to be my wife, to have and to hold from, this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow.”
Meghan will also say: “I MEGHAN, take you, HARRY, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow.”
They will hold hands and face each other as they say this.
When Harry gives Meghan the ring, he will say, “MEGHAN, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
When Meghan gives Harry the ring, she will say, “HARRY, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
Diana’s Sister Will Read From the Song of Solomon
Getty
The reading that Diana’s sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, will give is from the Song of Solomon. It starts, “MY beloved speaks and says to me: ‘Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land.”
A Choir Will Sing ‘Stand By Me’
These are the words of Stand By Me:
“WHEN the night has come,
And the land is dark,
And the moon is the only light we see.
No, I won’t be afraid.
Oh, I won’t be afraid,
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.
So darling, darling, stand by me,
Oh, stand by me.
Oh stand, stand by me. Stand by me.
If the sky that we look upon,
Should tumble and fall,
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea.
I won’t cry, I won’t cry.
No, I won’t shed a tear.
Just as long as you stand, stand by me,
Darling, darling, stand by me…
Whenever you’re in trouble,
Won’t you stand by me, oh stand by me.
Oh stand, stand by me. Stand by me.”
The Hymn From Princess Diana’s Funeral Will Conclude the Service
Getty
“GUIDE me, O thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer,
Be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction
Land me safe on Canaan’s side:
Songs of praises
I will ever give to thee.”