Meghan’s break with protocol is right on time

YET again, the American actor is dragging her soon-to-be in-laws into the modern world, one wedding ceremony change at a time, writes Kerry Parnell.

MEGHAN Markle is going to make a speech at her wedding to Prince Harry, according to reports.

I should blooming well think she is: The fact that a bride speaking on her wedding day still makes the news in 2018 is rather surreal.

Naturally, Meghan is going to talk; this is the woman who gave a speech about gender equality at a United Nations conference in 2015. It would be strange if she sat there benignly smiling as lots of blokes talked about her, as is the “custom.”

I have always thought it an extremely strange custom that traditional weddings require the woman to say diddly squat.

Catherine Middleton said zip all at her wedding to Prince William, instead listening to Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Michael Middleton waffle on. It took her a year before she made a speech, so I suppose she was hardly going to give a TED Talk at her nuptials.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are being touted as the new ‘modern’ couple of the British Royal Family. (Pic: Ben Stansall)

I am not criticising her — or any woman — who doesn’t want to talk, they don’t have to. But I think it’s a tradition that should have disappeared a long time ago.

After all, what is tradition anyway? Up until 1840 brides didn’t wear white — only starting when Queen Victoria chose the colour at her wedding — and a century ago weddings were held on weekdays as a Saturday was seen as bad luck and bad taste.

Right up until the 1960s, receptions were frugal and held at home, if they had one at all.

So why do we cling to this notion of tradition anyway? Just change it.

That was certainly something Diana, Princess of Wales did at her wedding. When it came to the part of the vows where the bride promises to “obey” her husband, Diana was having none of it. The couple held “very serious discussions” with the Archbishop of Canterbury and controversially decided to ditch it. As we know Diana certainly did not obey Charles and after that, nobody said “obey” at their wedding. So perhaps if Meghan gives the best speech of her life then there will be a rousing chorus of brides telling far better jokes than the bumbling best man.

In addition to giving her own speech, Meghan Markle is set to break tradition by being walked down the aisle on the arm of her mother. (Pic: Alastair Grant)

There’s no better illustration of this than Nine’s Married At First Sight — where none of the brides look like they’re going to obey anyone and the ones that do speak at their receptions eclipse their hapless husbands. Single mum Jo’s entertaining speech went down a treat — to everyone apart from her inarticulate husband Sean, that is, who isn’t going to be winning any debating competitions.

Then there was Davina and Ryan’s wedding reception this week, where Ryan’s dunderheaded best man Matt won the worst speech in history award — hilarious for him, not so entertaining for the new bride.

As for “etiquette”, forget it, say the experts. “More and more brides are making speeches at their weddings,” says Zarife Hardy, director of the Australian School of Etiquette. “Both men and women now share the stage when it comes to making traditional speeches at all formal occasions.” Not really a shock there.

So for the sake of our sanity, ladies, do a Meghan and speak up on your big day, if only to drown out prats like Matt for good.