It happened y’all! After years of imaging Zamunda and most recently Wakanda as real, a black girl has made history by officially becoming a princess in The British Royal Family. This morning at an ungodly hour for a Saturday in The Bahamas, thousands tuned in to watch Meghan Markle become the Duchess of Sussex.
I grew up in the era of William and Harry. My sister has long joked that she would marry Prince William. Those dreams crashed and burned when he married Kate Middleton but understand that we thought it was a joke; a black Caribbean girl from a former British colony married to the prince? No way! But today, today Meghan Markle, whose dred-locked Jamaican mother sat front and center, validated the dream every little girl has at some point or another and became a Princess (save the feminist agendas for another post folks, as a matter of fact check out http://anastarcia.com/speak/aseatatthetable/ if you’d like to argue this point). Here are the 4 B’s of The British Royal Wedding that makes this one for the books.
- Blackity-Black-Black
So, you might have gathered from the first paragraph that the Duchess of Sussex is black. To be fair she’s half and half with a Caucasian father but since some people set up the 1/8th rule back in the day she’s black. If anyone doubted her blackness one look at the Royal Wedding and you knew, that she knew, she’s black. There was a black-soul choir, thee last black priest that preached too long, a black chaplain leading the prayers and a black cellist!
Some people might argue that it was over kill, that the palace “did too much” as if they had a point to prove. Yes, the cameras focusing continuously on the one black altar boy was a clear indication that this was all carefully orchestrated to emphasize her blackness, but I say it’s about time! Remember that we were subject to these people for centuries, first as slaves and then as the colonized if we are truly to move forward we shouldn’t be brushing our blackness under the rug as if who we are, including our culture of soul singing and long-winded sermons aren’t important. The messaging was loud and clear: the royal family is embracing the jungle fever, cookies and cream, swirling, zebra, pandas of Harry and Megan’s future children and I am here for it.
- Bride and the Bare Minimum
I’ve had a pretty busy day, so I’d be lying if I said I had time to read every one’s blogs, status’ and commentary but I have seen a few shade throwers who’ve argued that Megan was wholly underwhelming. Given that the average American wedding cost $35,329.00 according to The Knot and given the way the average black person spends hours contouring their faces for other people’s weddings, I was not surprised that people expected Meghan to walk down the aisle in full RuPaul drag with a dress worthy of Clare Dane’s electric Cinderella MET Gala gown.
After-all, this was our moment! We wear tiaras to our proms for goodness sake, surely Megan would deliver major slayage! And she did…. but in the most simplistic way possible and I absolutely loved it.
No, she wouldn’t win the cover of my magazine for Dress of the Year, but I thought she looked regal and royal. A guy friend of mine told me just yesterday that with the way people do makeup now, everyone looks the same. By going anti-Kim Kardashian contour, she emphasized her natural beauty and set herself apart. #blackgirlmagic
- Bonnets
I love myself a good head covering. Case in point:
And the Royal Wedding was full of them! From fascinators and headbands to traditional hats it appears everyone got bonnet memo and every hat was covered in style!
Meghan Markle’s girlfriends slayed and Princess Kate took the cake! If any of you find these on eBay, please add the link to the comments!
- Bourgeois
It’s the Royal Wedding and it involved a Hollywood Actress, so this was Oscars, meets Grammy’s meets Downton Abbey at its finest. Peonies and roses? Check. Orchestra playing? Check. Fancy cello solo with a little harp for the signing of the registry? Check. Rolls Royce? Check. Mama sitting up from like the black queen she is? Check.
It was bourgeois to the last ballad and I lived!
What were your favorite parts about the Royal Wedding? Comment below!
