Prince Henry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in a royal wedding for the ages, but the pair chose to keep their vows simple.
The newly crowned Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to stick to fairly normal promises in their vows. This was especially true of Harry’s vows, with no controversial changes being made.
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“I Harry, take you, Meghan, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward,” Prince Harry said. “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.”
Markle’s vows were very similar, but they featured one glaring change that had been contested in recent days.
The former Suits actress did not want to vow to “obey” her husband, as it is oppressive for women.
“I Meghan, take you, Harry, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward,” Markle said. 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.”
While the “obey” omission was a much-discussed topic, it was not unprecedented. Princess Diana, Harry’s mother, was the first British royal to omit the line in 1981. Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William, also chose not to say the line.
In addition to those vows, the couple also exchanged a traditional ring vow: “I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body, I honor 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.”
While those vows cemented the couple’s commitment to one another, the couple has long prepared for the moment they would be husband and wife.
“Of course, that sense of responsibility was essentially from day one, or maybe a couple of months in, when I started to realize actually this is, I feel I know that I am in love with this girl and I hope that she is in love with me but we still have to sit down on the sofa,” Harry previously told the BBC. “You know, I still have to have some pretty frank conversations with her to say what you are letting yourself in for it’s a big deal. It’s not easy for anybody. But I know at the end of the day, she chooses me and I choose her, and therefore whatever we have to tackle together or individually, it will always be us together as a team.”
