Back to work, Prince Harry and Meghan to delay honeymoon

LONDON - Reuters

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will delay heading off for their honeymoon, instead attending a birthday party for his father Prince Charles just days after marrying in a ground-breaking ceremony that blended the modern with the traditional.

After a day that saw the couple exchange vows in a medieval chapel at Windsor Castle under the gaze of royals, celebrities, and a global television audience of many millions, Harry and Meghan spent the evening partying with friends in privacy.

They will head home to their cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace before attending their first official royal engagement as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the 70th birthday patronage celebration for Prince Charles.

The outdoor event marks the heir to the throne’s milestone birthday, which falls in November, by recognizing Charles’ patronages and military affiliations as well as others involved in charities supported by the royal.

On May 20, while the Queen attended church, there was no sign of the newlyweds.

So far, the destination of their honeymoon is unknown, with some media guessing they might travel to Botswana, possibly to an exclusive safari camp which the couple visited in August last year, just a few months before they announced their engagement.

Harry sourced the diamond in Meghan’s engagement ring from Botswana, the world’s biggest producer.
The marriage of Harry, 33, a former royal wild child and sixth-in-line to the British throne, and 36-year-old Meghan, a divorcee whose mother is African-American and father is white, was like no other the royal family has seen before.

They crowned the day with a black-tie dinner and party where Meghan was expected to make a speech and the couple were expected to have their first dance. At around 11 p.m., fireworks lit up the night sky.
More than 29 million people watched the ceremony on television in the United States, according to Nielsen ratings released May 20.

The estimated 29.2 million viewers for the ceremony on May 19 exceed the number for the 2011 wedding of Harry’s brother Prince William to Kate Middleton, which was watched by 22.8 million people.