Funniest Moments From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding

The royal wedding was a high-class event displaying all of the elegance and pageantry the British monarchy could muster, but it was also filled with charming, human and surprisingly funny moments.

Meghan Markle married Prince Harry on Saturday, May 19, officially becoming a part of the royal family. The ceremony was held in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. About 600 guests attended, though many more crowded into the small town outside, and millions tuned in to watch from around the world.

The event was a historic moment for the royal family that once became a global empire. Americans were elated to see one of their own ascend to the literal throne — especially a woman of color. It was a symbolic win for the diasporic cultures that were colonized by the British in the past several centuries.

Because royal wedding drew the attention of people who aren’t typically interested in the actions of the royal family, it also brought out a whole new level of humor. Viewers were able to look at the age-old wedding ceremony with fresh eyes. They poked fun where they wanted and read into small moments with a fresh sense of significance.

All weekend, the royal wedding dominated the Internet. It was the center of public discussion, and it bled into just about every other topic there was. Royal wedding memes spread like wildfire, and the event was picked apart into improbably standalone moments.

Here’s a look at some of the funniest moments from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding.

Dress Comparisons

As they say, there’s nothing original left under the sun. With millions of people watching, it would have been impossible for a fashion designer to come up with something brand new for Markle or any of her guests. Still, some of the comparisons were pretty hilarious.

Pippa Middleton, who was accused of stealing the spotlight at her sister’s royal wedding in 2011, got a much more light-hearted ribbing this time when her dress was compared to the design on an Arizona Iced Tea can.

Meanwhile the Queen Mother herself wore an outfit that bore an eerie resemblance to a secondary character in Scream.

Not all of the fashion critiques were made for fun, however. An Australian news anchor named Allison Langdon went after Markle for “copying” her wedding dress from a princess in Denmark, who was married in 2004.

BBC Crowd Size Shade

One of the most viral tweets of the day was posted by BBC Three. The network reignited the debate over President Trump’s inauguration without saying a word, simply by putting a picture of that crowd beside a picture of the mass of people waiting outside the church to see Markle and Prince Harry.

Chelsy Davy

Two of Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriends attended the wedding ceremony, and while both claim to be on friendly terms with the 33-year-old, viewers thought that Chesly Davy’s expression said otherwise. She dated Prince Harry from 2004 to 2011, and some thought she looked like she was rethinking their break-up.

Fire

Reverend Michael Curry, from an Episcopal Church in Chicago, spoke at the wedding ceremony. His impassioned speech struck a far different tone than the rest of the highly formal proceedings, and for many American viewers, it encapsulated what it meant for an American to marry into the royal family.

On top of that, Curry’s speech relied heavily on metaphors involving fire, leading to some grade A memes comparing it to rap music and incorporating flame emojis.

Dancing Royal Admirer

The non-stop coverage of the event led to some charming on-air moments, including one dancing child that stole the Internet’s heart.

The Queen’s Royal Wave

Queen Elizabeth II was present for the wedding. At 92 years old, she cuts an iconic figure. One fan noticed that, when viewed from a certain angle, her “royal wave” looks more like she’s trying to shoo someone out of her way.

Thoughtful Prince Harry

Prince Harry wore his heart on his sleeve all through the royal ceremony. He wiped tears from his eyes at the altar, grinned unabashedly in the carriage ride, and at other times looked wide-eyed an earnest. A Twitter user captured one of these moments to impose an imagined interior monologue on the prince.

Celebrity Guests

While celebrities are thought of by many as rarified entities, they don’t come close to the stratosphere of fame that royalty are in. Many took the opportunity to mock our culture of celebrity worship as the rich and famous were overshadowed by centuries of royal esteem.

Yanny or Laurel

Of course, the meme of the day had to find a home in the royal wedding chatter. Fans found every opportunity to imagine the figures on screen were taking part in the “Yanny or Laurel” debate. Undoubtedly royal historians will be extremely frustrated when they need to explain this in textbooks a few decades from now.