Meghan opens up about wedding day in new documentary
The Duchess of Sussex speaks about her wedding day and the elaborate veil she wore in her first documentary appearance as a member of the monarchy.
In Queen Of The World, a two-part ITV series about the monarch’s role as head of the Commonwealth, Meghan is reunited with her bridal gown and veil as they are prepared for a new exhibition at Windsor Castle starting in October.
She talks about the Commonwealth, and the symbolic importance of the floral Commonwealth emblems that were sewn in to her five-metre long silk veil.
In the series the Princess Royal is interviewed about her first trip on the Royal Yacht Britannia in the 1950s, when she and the Prince of Wales, both young children, were put to work “scrubbing and polishing”.
And it is revealed the Queen had to re-record her Christmas broadcast – after the filming was interrupted by bird noise.
Designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, Meghan’s bridal gown was a simple, classic creation, but the elaborate veil was embroidered with flowers from each of the 53 Commonwealth nations at the duchess’s request.
The Los Angeles-born former actress also selected two personal favourites: a California poppy and wintersweet, which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace and outside her and Harry’s home, Nottingham Cottage.
Queen Of The World examines the head of state’s role as a global figure and the baton she is passing on to younger members of the Royal Family, as they continue to strengthen ties with the family of nations.
Harry is now a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador and has already spoken about how his wife will join him in his work – which will see them begin a major Commonwealth tour in October.
During the series the duke is filmed chatting to young people who won places on the Royal Household Caribbean Hospitality Scholarship initiative, and tells them: “You guys have spent way more time in Buckingham Palace than I ever have – and you’ve only been here two weeks.
“Have you bumped into the Queen yet? If you suddenly bump into her in the corridor, don’t panic. I know you will. We all do.”
Filmed over more than a year the documentary makers were given access to private home movies and the programme shows the role played by the Royal Yacht Britannia in the Queen’s early tours of the Commonwealth.
The Princess Royal watches footage of her first trip on the vessel with her brother Charles, after months apart from their parents who had taken part in a post-Coronation Commonwealth tour.
Anne says: “(I have) very good memories of that trip…The journey out and the sea nannies that we had to stop us from launching ourselves over the side were very good memories…We were kept very busy.
“There was lots to do, all sorts of places to go and things to keep clean, lots of scrubbing and polishing, that was part of our role.”
The first part of Queen Of The World will be screened on September 25, at 9.15pm on ITV.