Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are having a traditional royal wedding on Saturday, though some of Markle’s fans wonder if she’ll take a stand and modernize the vows.
Markle has described herself as a feminist on several occasions. This leaves some of her fans asking if she will stick to the rigid traditions of a Royal Wedding, of if she’ll be free to update her vows a bit. Many are wondering whether her commitment to Prince Harry will include the word “obey,” as the vows traditionally have for so long.
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Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, famously omitted the word “obey” from her own vows back in 1981. However, after her, the next two royal brides returned to the age-old vows, promising to “obey” their husbands so long as they both shall live.
Markle, too will make that promise, according to a report by ABC News. The 36-year-old California native is reportedly planning to agree to the vows as countless other women have before her, including the subservient promise to “obey.”
Most recently, Princess Kate Middleton also chose to remove “obey” from her vows when she married Prince William in 2011.
The vows used in deeply traditional weddings come from the church’s Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which dates back to 1662. In them, the groom promises “to love and cherish till death do us part,” while the bride vows to “love, cherish and obey” her husband.
These days, most weddings use those set down in the Common Worship book, which was introduced in 2000. They no longer include the word “obey.”
“I, (bride/groom name), take you, (groom/bride name) to be my wife/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,” they read.
Markle was baptized in the Church of England back in March to prepare for her fast-approaching nuptials. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby confirmed the actress. He and Markle have reportedly developed a “close bond.”
As a child, Markle was raised in the Episcopalian faith. However, she went to a Catholic high school in Los Angeles. Technically she was not required to be baptized before Saturday’s wedding, but she announced her plans to do so shortly after the engagement was made official.
Despite the archaic vows, Markle’s commitment to the advancement of women is clear. She works with organizations such as World Vision, the Myna Mahila Foundation and One Young World to advocate for women’s rights around the glob.
