Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex and Duchess Meghan of Sussex celebrate their second wedding anniversary. They were married at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 19th 2018.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married two years ago today. Their wedding took place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in the UK.
According to Nielsen, 29.2 million people in the US watched the ceremony. The event aired across fifteen US television networks. All fifty-three countries of the Commonwealth were honored on Meghan’s veil through representation of a flower from each country. She arrived at the chapel in a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, reportedly one of only sixteen ever built.
Their wedding cake took five days to prepare and required a team of six bakers. It was decorated with 150 flowers. A team of twenty-five chefs created approximately 7,500 food items for the couple’s lunchtime reception. According to CBS News, the entire wedding cost approximately $45 million.
I have stood where they stood. St. George’s Chapel is a fascinating historical site, originally founded in the fourteenth century and extensively enlarged a century later. It is the burial place of Henry VIII among many others. I cannot imagine a more significant place to host such a significant wedding.
Why you and I are members of the royal family
By contrast, my wife and I were married forty years ago next month in a ceremony that cost much less than $45 million. Our venue was our church in Houston, Texas, a sanctuary that also doubled as a gymnasium. Our family and friends were in attendance, but no one in the media reported on the event.
The good news is that my wife and I are just as valuable to God as Harry and Meghan. In fact, Scripture says of us, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
If I am beloved by God, so is every person I meet today. This includes anyone who loves me and anyone who does not.
Now it’s my turn to view others as royalty in the same way my King views me. The most powerful—and often difficult—way to do this is through intercession.
Henri Nouwen quotes Jesus’ admonition to “pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) and our Savior’s example when he prayed for those who were crucifying him (Luke 23:34). Then he notes: “Here the full significance of the discipline of prayer becomes visible. Prayer allows us to lead into the center of our hearts not only those who love us but also those who hate us. This is possible only when we are willing to make our enemies part of ourselves and thus convert them first of all in our own hearts.”
It is difficult to hate someone when I am asking God to bless them.
Unlike Harry and Meghan’s televised wedding, intercession is not a spectator event. Name a difficult person in your life, then pray for God’s best for them. Trust that they will be blessed in some way as a result.
And know that you will be blessed as well.
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