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CNN Live Event/Special
Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Married in St. George's Chapel; Meghan's Bridal Attire; . Aired 9-10a ET
Aired May 19, 2018 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:00:33] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: An exciting day for the British royal family. Perhaps a new day for the family. Today's royal wedding had all the trappings of a fairytale with a very modern twist. The American bride, Meghan Markle, bringing a taste of home and a new kind of history to one of the most tradition-bound ceremonies in England. Churchgoers listened to a rousing performance of "Stand by Me" by a gospel choir, and an impassioned sermon given by the American Bishop, the likes of which surely have never been seen in St. George's Chapel.
Meghan and Prince Harry, a modern couple, so clearly in love, exchanging vows in front of the queen, the "who's who" of Hollywood celebrities, hundreds of guests, millions of people watching around the world. Quite a day.
I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for joining us.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I'm here with Don Lemon with more of CNN's special coverage of the royal wedding.
So, it's been quite a moment. Harry and Meghan, who are now known as the duke and duchess of Sussex. I love the ring of that. There's something symmetrical. They capped their marriage outside with a kiss outside of St. George's Chapel.
She wore a long-sleeved gown. It was modest. It was --
(CROSSTALK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Was it? You think so?
CAMEROTA: Yes. It had a beautiful neckline. But it was -- this was a modest gown. It was designed by the first female artistic director of Givenchy. And a Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara, lent to her by Queen Elizabeth.
Harry wore his military uniform. And he was sporting a beard, Don, which was unexpected.
LEMON: Yes. The dress showed a bit of shoulder and I thought that might be controversial. This morning we were talking, and people were saying, no, she must wear sleeves. She has to cover herself. The queen wouldn't like it. But I thought that was modern and beautiful. KATE WILLIAMS, CNN HISTORIAN & ROYAL COMMENTATOR: This is very typical Givenchy neckline. Think back to Audrey Hepburn, perhaps Givenchy's most-famous client, a lot of the dresses she wore were this neckline as well. So very classic for the house.
CAMEROTA: Yes. This has many echoes of Audrey Hepburn, right.
WILLIAMS: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: After the ceremony, the newlyweds rode in the open-air carriage through the town of Windsor, celebrating their happiness. There were throngs of people lining the streets. Some had been there for days. I saw tents popping up along the route because people wanted to catch a glimpse of them.
LEMON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: At this hour, they're attending the first of two receptions. This one hosted by the queen for about 600 wedding guests.
Let's talk about the rest of their lives.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: And 600 wedding guests, right?
CAMEROTA: Exactly. All of this wedding, which Richard Quest has told me not to get into the price today. But in -- OK, but in terms of the -- let's start with the moments, OK, that we just saw. There was very beautiful, romantic moment when she first walked down the aisle and she met Prince Harry. Everybody, of course, is reading -- OK. So we believe -- he looked at her. The very first thing he said was, you look amazing.
LEMON: Yes. That's love. That's love. I mean, he's -- he only sees one person and one woman. And she looked beautiful.
ANGELA LEVINAND, AUTHOR & PRINCE HARRY BIOGRAPHER: It was terribly touching. They held hands nearly throughout the ceremony. They were both holding each other's hands tighter and tighter. As soon as they got in the carriage, they held each other's hands again. It's very bonding. It's very moving. And --
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: You know him. You spent time with him.
LEVINAND: Yes.
CAMEROTA: You had unprecedented access. What did you see when you saw Harry's face and reaction?
LEVINAND: I saw him when he went in. I thought he was incredibly tense. He kept wiping his upper lip with his white glove. And that was because he was sweating with anxiety, I think. Took the white gloves off and he sat down. He looked very tense to me as he talked to William. But the minute he saw her, you could just feel the relief in his face. This most-happiest moment, I think.
LEMON: I wonder if it had anything to do -- when he's wiping the military uniform because folks were wondered if he would wear a morning suit, but he wore the military uniform.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The military uniform of the royals, which is the regiment of which Harry was in. William also in military. Interestingly, we got totally excited about the beard because whether or not you can have a -- you're not supposed to have a beard in military uniform, but he is the --
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Yes. This is the moment -- Richard, sorry to interrupt -- where they held hands throughout the ceremony. Very unself- unconsciously. They just held hands because they wanted to.
[09:05:00] LEMON: That's what we were talking about. This is, in many ways, a nontraditional wedding ceremony for a royal wedding ceremony. They held hands. They truly love each other. You know, when I say this is not just about the pageantry. This is about love. So, you know, it's beautiful to talk about the gown and all of that, but this -- these two love each other. Let's hope they do make a difference.
QUEST: I think we really have to talk about what I call the "buy one, get one free" syndrome. With William and Harry, you are seeing a future monarchy unlike anything we've seen before. It's not like Margaret and Elizabeth. They have an agreement, a pact in standing that Harry will support William. And the British people are going to have, as I say, "buy one, get one free."
CAMEROTA: Here's the dress.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: I'm sorry to interrupt.
This is the moment of the dress reveal when she got out of the car. And everybody who have been speculating for weeks and months, Kate, of what it would look like. Your thoughts?
WILLIAMS: The most important part to me of this dress was the veil that had the most personality to Great Britain. There are 53 different flowers embroidered for the 53 different countries of the British monarchy. That felt very personal to England. Otherwise, clearly, she wanted to be modern, clean-lined. Some of us thought it would be beaded, embroidery, looking for a little more pizazz. I personally think it's a little plain. But certainly she -- you know, she's maintaining this modern, clean way of dressing. It will be knocked off like this.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: It'll be knocked off like this.
LEMON: What about having the first woman of Givenchy? Is that --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: I think that's important. I think that's a message. I think it's an unusual pick. Let me say that. Givenchy is classically French. You think of France. It's a lovely gesture, a nod to the first woman running the house. However, it's typically French. Again, I think there was thought behind it. This is very easy for other brands to knock off. I think it's going to be copied many, many times. We'll see this boat neck come back, the three-quarter sleeves. It'll be all the rage next season.
QUEST: I have the lunch menu.
(LAUGHTER)
CAMEROTA: Breaking.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: All right. Please, tell us immediately.
QUEST: Guests will be served a selection of canapes, including Scottish langoustine served in smoked salmon, grilled English asparagus, garden peas, heritage tomato and basil tartar with balsamic pearls. Then a selection of bowl foods, including free-range chicken with morel mushrooms, pea and risotto, and 10-hour slow-roasted Windsor pork belly.
LEVINAND: There's no seating plans. Everybody has --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: It's going to be a real challenge if you have your glass in one hand and a bowl in the other.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Are there no seats? No seating plan? Is it just so people can mill around and mingle?
LEVINAND: So everyone can mix and be friendly.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: That's fashionable in the U.K. at the moment, these small bowls.
LEMON: Is that something that's new?
LEVINAND: It's been around for 18 months, two years that people have food bowls. (CROSSTALK)
QUEST: You basically have a standing buffet.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: Yes. So you can talk, you can mix with Prince Charles. It won't be a high table. Everyone can mingle. And very important. Really to suggest that the royal family is moving very quickly into this zone of change.
I'm also anxious to see the cake. Apparently, it's not the usual cake we saw with William and Kate. It's going to be an art installation, is what I heard.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: A unique cake.
LEMON: You're right. Many of us may be underestimating the power of youth. This is a very young monarchy. Except for the king and queen, this is a very young, very modern, very hip. The cake is gluten-free. We keep talking -- again, I don't want to keep going back, but this is change. I don't think it's revolutionary, but I think we're moving in it is right direction.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Meghan Markle is pushing them in the right direction.
WILLIAMS: She's like an Instagram bride. She had a blog called The Tig. She's very savvy about being an influencer, a social influencer.
LEMON: There you go.
WILLIAMS: These are things she saw and liked and took notes, as brides do, starting off on a Pinterest board or whatever. She's very modern in that sense.
LEMON: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: And the toast. She's going to, we believe, she is going to make a toast herself, which would be the first --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: To Harry.
QUEST: To Harry. Which would be the first time that's happened.
CAMEROTA: She is trailblazing in that respect.
Let's talk about the ceremony. I want to know what your thoughts were in terms of the flourishes that
we think that Meghan brought. Obviously, we can start with everything from the minister and his service --
LEVINAND: I found it a little uncomfortable. I've been a royal watcher for a long time. I've watched the royal weddings over and over again. This, to me, was a little uncomfortable.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: What part? What part was uncomfortable?
LEVINAND: I love gospel singing. It's my favorite, actually, type of singing. But I just didn't think it fitted in there. This is a very English place and a very English institution.
WILLIAMS: I thought it was great.
LEMON: See, that's the point.
You and I are on the same page.
WILLIAMS: Because we're Americans.
[09:10:05] LEMON: No. That's because we are -- I think people are missing the moment. In is a middle -- this is the beginning of a revolution worldwide.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Listen, I don't want -- I don't think the royal family's going to change overnight. But this is the beginning. Look at this ceremony. This ceremony was basically adapted around Meghan Markle. Everyone else had to adjust to it. I don't think Meghan Markle is concerned about her husband becoming the king or about her ascending to the throne. They don't have that worry and that pressure. So, she will be free to be who she is, to talk about policy, to tell people --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: No, I disagree.
CAMEROTA: The royal watchers --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: They can disagree, but they cannot force them -- she'll have her voice. They cannot do that. Maybe with William and Kate. That's a different story.
LEVINAND: She wouldn't want to upset Prince Harry.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: She's already done -- said things that princesses have never said before. (CROSSTALK)
VICTORIA ARBITER, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Not direct politics --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Harry adores his grandmother, but he's not married to his grandmother.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: No, no. But I think he does adore his grandmother. He would not want to upset her. I mean, he's worked - he's told me he hasn't had a career because he wanted to help his grandmother and he has taken over a lot of responsibilities. How would she feel if he went somewhere and she really didn't like how they both did it? I think you've got to --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on. Hang on. Let me say. He doesn't want to upset her. He married a woman of color.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: That's different.
QUEST: All I will say is on this question-- all I will say on this question of Meghan involving herself in --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Look at the pictures.
QUEST: Hang on a second.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Yes. But what I will say on this question of Meghan involving herself in policy issues or questions of policy, it is this, every time a member of the royal family has done so, it has usually ended badly. Because half the people won't agree with you. And they're the half of the people also paying for the royal family.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let's look back at Diana. Diana was revolutionary in her time.
LEVINAND: HIV/AIDS was --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: It did not matter. To heck with the royal family. She did her thing and became the love of the world. Adored by the world. But they did get divorced, but she made her mark. It did not change her. (CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: But let's watch this.
I want to get back to you, Angela, about what you said was uncomfortable because I know you can channel the royal family. There was this moment, this passionate sermon from this American bishop, Michael Curry. Let's listen to this and watch some of the royal family reaction.
OK, so you don't hear the sound, but you see the reaction. Anything we should take from their faces here, Angela, where the bishop was talking in this passionate way? It was unusual for a royal wedding.
LEVINAND: I thought Kate looked as if she was holding herself back. The queen, you could never tell, but she's got the most incredible mask. She doesn't believe in revealing emotions in public. It's all stiff upper lip and duty. I didn't mind that, actually. You might be surprised. I thought that that worked. And I think a bit of passion around religion is a good thing. I was very happy with that. And I thought it showed both their interests in doing this in sort of a religious way.
LEMON: I thought it was uncomfortable but spectacularly uncomfortable in a good way.
CAMEROTA: That Don likes.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: You saw some emotion that we don't see from the royal family. Maybe put people on the edge and didn't know where he was going to go. I loved it.
CAMEROTA: I want all of your thoughts.
But Nick Watt was watching from his vantage point.
Nick, what were your thoughts with the crowd?
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm going to agree with Angela. I thought the bishop was spectacular. But I'm going to strongly disagree with her. I thought the choir was fantastic. Something Bonnie Greer said immediately after the service that really struck me. She said, there are people in that chapel who will have never seen a service like this. And she is dead-on right. I mean, I grew up in the Anglican Church. I have sat through dozens and dozens of dry, dusty weddings. At school, I went to church every single day. This was next level. Somehow, they managed to make it personal, profound. Listen, there are maybe a billion people watching this on TV, but they still managed to steal those moments, the lifting of the veil, as we talked about, just little bits of eye contact, the smiles. It was amazing. It was inclusive. It was powerful. It was profound. And I think it may have changed some people's minds.
Listen, I can, and I will speak for maybe a chunk of this country. I can be a bit of a cynical old goat sometimes when it comes to the royal family, but this -- I had a tear in my eye. On Twitter, some people I follow say, what, in 20 minutes, we've all become royalists? It's not that fast but it's the start, a change. It is a sign, I hope, we hope, of things to come.
Back to you, guys.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Now to another --
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: -- G-O-A-T, Richard Quest.
What did you think of the bishop and the royals -- I know you were studying their faces and body language.
[09:15:08] QUEST: Oh, it was wonderful.
CAMEROTA: Not the service, but their reaction.
QUEST: Look, you have to put it into context. He was wonderful. They were uncomfortable. But they knew what they were going to get. Having said that, it is not the bishop's job to make the queen uncomfortable at a wedding in her own chapel. But she wasn't uncomfortable. Others might have been, but that's because it's different. There's nothing wrong with being different. It wasn't so different as to be off the reservation, no. This was a warm, welcoming, loving address that added a different tone to the day.
LEMON: Well, my -- I love the stand by -- I loved the choir. I loved them singing "Stand by Me." And they were standing by each other, holding each other's hands. It might not have been the right place/of venue --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: But not there.
ARBITER: We've had black people in this country since the 11th century, since they built St. George's Chapel. When Catherine of Aragon came over to marry Henry VII, she brought black attendants with her, people of color with her. We should reflect that. England's culture, Britain's culture is about black culture just as much as the dry, dusty sermons Nick Watt was talking about. It was incredible sermon, to hear. The aristocracy did benefit from slavery. And to hear the bishop talk about resilience of faith and slavery in the chapel, to many people who had benefitted from slavery, that is, I think, an unforgettable moment. Historians of the future will write huge books about this.
LEMON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: I often thought this particular rendition was particularly heart-rendering. LEMON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: There were the flourishes that they put in there and the sort of pace. This is when I was starting to well up.
WILLIAMS: I liked it. It was a London-based choir singing this Ben E. King. We all think of the movie. There's this melding of British and Americanism in this one song, in this one piece.
LEMON: People who are not necessarily interested, especially in the United States, in the royal family, they think it's all about pageantry and don't get it, are really tuned into this. They're dialed in. And they're looking to the royal family now, hopefully, Meghan and Harry, to change things to be transformational, transitional. That's, again, my takeaway from today.
But, listen, there's lots of light and love --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: Can I add something about that?
LEMON: Yes.
LEVINAND: The words "Stand by Me" does epitomize what they both needed --
LEMON: Yes.
LEVINAND: -- since childhood. I mean, he has gone through a great deal as --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: With his mother.
LEVINAND: But he hasn't had the support of somebody he met years ago at university, like William had with Kate. So he's really tried to do it on his own, Harry, and he's done it through his charities. It's been really hard for him. He mentioned he had mental health issues. And he's wanted someone who would stand by him.
LEMON: Previously, when he dated -- the women he dated before didn't necessarily want to be part of the royal family.
LEVINAND: They couldn't take --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: They couldn't take the spotlight.
LEMON: And Meghan is standing by him.
LEVINAND: She's standing by him. And I think she needs him to stand by her because she's only had one member of her family there. It's been a very difficult week with all the half-brothers and sisters and fathers and all those things. And if they found a patch where they feel they both found the person who would stand by them for the future -- I'm getting quite emotional.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: It's so beautiful.
(LAUGHTER)
LEVINAND: I think that that makes the song OK. I don't mean to be mean about it, but I think be they possibly thought through and they both need and have found, which is just amazing.
LEMON: What did you think of "This Little Light of Mine," did you like it?
CAMEROTA: I did like it.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: I like music we can all sing along to at weddings.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: I'm not sure if they can do that.
(CHEERING)
ARBITER: And wasn't the cellist incredible? 19-year-old cellist who won the BBC music awards. Many of us were quite near to weeping when we heard him play.
(CROSSTALK)
[09:19:25] WILLIAMS: I went through three handkerchiefs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(CHEERING)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Prince Charles walking Meghan Markle down the aisle. Right before -- and there's Prince Harry getting his first glimpse at his future bride.
There's a reception going on now, hosted by Queen Elizabeth, for some 600 of the invited guests. And then there's going to be a knees-up, as Max Foster calls it.
(LAUGHTER)
I don't know what that means -- later tonight hosted by Prince Charles. For younger --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: A right royal knees-up.
COOPER: A right royal knees-up.
ARBITER: That is crazy --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Victoria is with me.
COOPER: Yes.
We're also getting our first look at the wedding cake.
Isha Sesay has that.
Isha, what does it look like?
[09:24:44] ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, I come with cake news. It is, indeed, a beauty. You know, we're so used to seeing multi-tiered, some might, say monstrosities, but Meghan and Prince Harry have gone for something a lot simpler. We knew it wasn't going to be your traditional wedding cake. They have these single tiers, almost individual cakes, which we know are sponge cake with buttercream filling and elderflower frosting, if you will. Meghan said she wanted it to have the taste of spring. She wanted it to be light. She wanted it to be delightful. Just not your fruitcake you get at most weddings. This is very beautiful. It is very fresh. As I said, not multi-tiered, not overly ornate, very simple, very elegant. Created by Claire Ptak of Violet Bakeries. She's a baker in East London. Meghan first met her when she wrote about her for her blog, The Tig, and struck up a relationship that lasted this length of time. It's a beautiful cake. I would just like a slice now -- Anderson?
COOPER: Yes, the bowls are quite --
(CROSSTALK)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Bring your bowls.
COOPER: Would that feed 600 people?
FOSTER: I doubt it.
COOPER: I doubt it.
Also, there's an odd tradition here, which I didn't realize. Traditionally, it's a fruitcake, which everyone hates. No one ever eats it. FOSTER: They don't eat it.
COOPER: But they would slice it and mail it to people.
FOSTER: Yes. Then we sell it on auction sites.
(LAUGHTER)
LEVINAND: It has to be hearty enough.
COOPER: So, they would send it to people who were at the reception as a memento?
FOSTER: Yes.
LEVINAND: People save the cake.
ARBITER: They save it. They normally save the top tier of a cake. It's normally a monstrosity. They'll save the top tier for baby's first christening. Some of Charles and Diana's cake just sold last week.
COOPER: Wow. All right.
LEVINAND: I want to go over for thoughts on Meghan's dress.
COOPER: I want to go over to Joe Zee with some initial thoughts on Meghan's dress.
JOE ZEE, FASHION JOURNALIST: OK. I want to talk about the dress, but I want to show you a picture. We can do show and tell.
COOPER: All right. Here we go.
ZEE: There we go.
So, we actually -- so, we know the dress is Givenchy by Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the house. The dress is exactly what Meghan's personal style is. It's a simplicity of the dress. Right away, you can tell -- we talked about having no embellishment, no lace, and it feels modern and stark. But, of course, that neckline, which we'll get to later, but that neckline, that boat neckline, because you are required to have covered shoulders in St. George's Chapel. And this barely gets away with it, but I think that's what's so great about this particular gown. Of course, the small waist. It's a very heavy, structured satin/silk they bonded together. So, it gives it that sort of real structure. Of course, it just has that soft straight-down feeling but a bit of a train. The train is not overly dramatic. Diana's train was 25 feet, Kate's was nine. This is a lot less. The drama for Meghan really came in the veil.
Let's talk about the neckline. This particular neckline right here is something that we are going to see influence fashion, wedding dresses in years to come.
COOPER: Really? You think it's going to have that big of an impact?
ZEE I think so. This is a very elegant way for a bride to show off your shoulders, your collarbone, because it's the most flattering on any woman. They can say, look, I can be a fairytale pride without all the froufrou.
COOPER: Dressed like this, though, what does it -- what does it run somebody?
ZEE: This is Givenchy haute couture dress. We you get an haute couture dress which is custom made for you and it is fitted the way this is done, this can be north of $100,000.
COOPER: They sell that at Kleinfeld's or --
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
ZEE: You will not find that at Kleinfeld's.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSTALK)
LEVINAND: There will be a version of it, presumable.
ZEE: There will be a version, I'm sure, by the end of the week. But, no. This all happened very quickly. Usually, haute couture dresses take a long time to make. But Meghan met Clare in January, worked with her and Jessica Maroney to get the look together and do the finally fitting at the end of April. So all of this happened probably in three to four months.
COOPER: Is there symbolism in what she wore?
ZEE: There is. I want to get to that. So the symbolism here, I think the most specific is coming from the veil. The veil -- can we see it? The veil is actually where they chose to put the symbolism. The dress was simple and classic, but the veil is big. It's really, really dramatic. It's 16-feet long of silk tulle and embroidered. This is where the symbolism really comes in. All along the edges here, which you can see, really delicately, with the flowers of the 53 commonwealth countries, because Meghan really wanted to pay homage to the countries she would be working with. One of the countries is, coincidentally, Canada where she lived the last seven years. There's a lot of personal meaning to her. And on the veil itself is a flower that is represented outside Kensington Palace. And one is the flowers of California.
COOPER: And the tiara.
ZEE: The famous tiara, of course.
ARBITER: And her mom called her "Flower" growing up.
(CROSSTALK)
ZEE: Yes. Oh, yes, so adorable.
Look at the drama of that particular veil where you can see that sort of 16 feet just really trailing behind her.
[09:30:13] COOPER: I didn't realize -- I mean, I know nothing about this, but I didn't realize that was from the veil. I thought that was from the dress.
ZEE: No. The dress is quite simple, and the train is not dramatic. That's why I think it's so elegant to see it from the delicacy of what the veil is and what it represents as well.
Of course, the tiara. That is the diamond bandeau from Queen Mary, made in 1932 on loan from the queen. That center brooch is what the tiara was created around. That was gifted to the then-Princess Mary on her wedding day. It's been passed down from generation to generation. And, you know, and I really think it suits her perfectly. I think there was so much speculation about the Spencer tiara and all of those different ones. I think they were too big for her. She's a petite girl and this frames her face perfectly.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: That's really interesting, Joe. I think that's amazing.
COOPER: You also have a side by side where you can compare it to Kate and Princess Diana's dress.
ZEE: There we are. So, you can see the simplicity of what Meghan's dress looks like and what her big moment is next to Kate and next to Diana. Diana's is very emblematic of the '80s.
ARBITER: Even her bouquet was so much bigger.
ZEE: Absolutely.
ARBITER: And that's the '80s, which is big.
ZEE: That was something Meghan wanted in this wedding with, I'm sure, to want something that would stand the test of time. She did not want to look at a picture of her wedding dress 20 years from now and say, that looks very dated. We talked about her being inspired by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, wearing something very simple, a slip dress on her wedding.
COOPER: That was by Narciso Rodriguez.
ZEE: Narciso Rodriquez. And this is what she wanted, her version of that for this big day.
COOPER: There's a surprising amount of star power at the wedding. In advance, a lot of people didn't know who was on the guest list. Oprah Winfrey was there, George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba was incredibly exciting to see, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Sir Elton John. ZEE: It was very Hollywood. But at the same time, they have very
personal relationships to Meghan and/or Harry. There was a reason. They weren't there just because they're famous.
COOPER: We talked about Elton John. He's working. Has done extraordinary work on HIV/AIDS, has raised tremendous amounts of money for HIV/AIDS through the Elton John Foundation, something Prince Harry is involved with as well.
FOSTER: David Beckham is largely football and sports.
COOPER: Serena Williams there.
FOSTER: Yes. That's a personal friend. A lot of them are through organizations, as you say.
ZEE: Serena Williams and Meghan met at a charity volleyball game a couple years ago that they played in. They stayed in touch and they have become fast friends and --
ARBITER: Joe, you pointed out that Abigail Spencer was the only member of the "Suits" cast that sat in the choir.
ZEE: In the choir. Next to Serena Williams. There she is in the polka dot dress, Abigail Spencer. She has a personal relationship with Meghan in a different way. You can see that all really plays out these celebrities and how they really have a lot of personal relationships with Meghan and Harry.
COOPER: James Blount, the singer, as well.
Bonnie, I know you were excited -- we didn't see as many fascinators, those hats.
(CROSSTALK)
BONNIE GREER, SOCIAL & CULTURE COMMENTATOR: I was so grateful for that. I was deeply grateful.
COOPER: You felt Oprah was wearing a church hat?
GREER: Well, Oprah wore a church hat. That's what's known in the African-American community. That is a gorgeous church hat. Also signified for me her deep respect for, a, being in a church, but also an understanding, Meghan's mommy. That's the other part of this picture. They both wore their own version of kind of a church hat. It was very moving for me to see that. And she did it without any sort of explanation. So, it was wonderful to see her. She paid homage to this moment, which is -- which is a revolutionary in itself, the moment. I just want to say quickly, too, that it's important for people to understand that this country is in a deep, deep moment of history. And only in its own history. It's going through a constitutional crisis. There are a couple of other crises that have been happening this summer. And now this extraordinary marriage. So, it will be interesting to see going forward how Harry and Meghan slot into the change that's happening but also the pushback that's happening.
COOPER: Also, one of the things we'll be talking about coming up is, you know, Meghan Markle as a citizen, as an American, was able to speak out about causes she cared about, about politics, about movements. That's not something, as a member of the royal family
GREER: No.
[09:34:46] COOPER: -- she's going to be able to do, so she's going to have to sort of figure that out moving forward. We'll talk about that ahead.
We'll talk about who is the best dressed among some of the guests at the wedding. Our team takes a look at that coming up. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: And there's some of the procession earlier. I'm not sure if this is before or after Prince Harry waved at me.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: That's the moment.
FOSTER: It is on camera.
ARBITER: We're about to get the replay of the moment, I think.
COOPER: It was terribly exciting for all of us up here.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Joe, you actually have a quote from the designer, something she said about --
ZEE: I do. I got a quote from Givenchy, from Clare Waight Keller and she talked about it being a close collaboration with Meghan in creating the dress. She said, "We wanted to create a timeless piece. I would emphasize the iconic post of Givenchy as well as history, as well modernity, with straight lines and sharp cuts. In contrast, the delicate floral beauty of the veil was a vision Meghan and I shared, a special gesture embracing the commonwealth flora ascending the circumference of the silk tulle."
COOPER: Wow.
ZEE: So in a way, it was as much Meghan as well as the designer.
GREER: We must remember that Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn.
COOPER: Yes.
GREER: So that was the whole -- (CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: How many people would have been involved in that design and the work in the dress?
ZEE: I think, in this case -- we learned a lot of this from Sarah Burton making the dress for Kate Middleton. She excluded her entire workroom because they were worried about leaks. She had two real top seamstresses work on it. When the needlework and embroidery went out of studio, they told them they were making it for a television series. I think, in this case, it was under cloak and dagger as well. I think very few people knew about it other than the bride.
FOSTER: That's amazing to keep quiet.
ZEE: It was the best-kept secret. It wasn't even remotely thrown out there as a possibility, which was very interesting.
COOPER: Yes, of all the names I read on lists of potential designers, her name was not --
(CROSSTALK)
ZEE: Never. She very much acknowledges she's a British designer at a French design house. So, there's that sort of global quality that I think so much is Meghan. She's American. She lived in Canada. She's now a Brit. You know, there's all of that stuff that feels very much about the world.
[09:40:10] GREER: And Audrey Hepburn did play a princess, so that's a whole sort of link to Givenchy.
ZEE: I think we have footage of Meghan stepping out of the car. That was Clare Waight Keller rushing to fix the veil and to fix the train. The designer herself rushed over to fix the way it played out. That was a nice gesture.
ARBITER: It's good she was there. You were worried, with no adult bridesmaids, who's going to fix the veil?
ZEE: I know.
COOPER: Coming up, we'll go over with Joe who was the best dressed among the guests at the event.
Right now, let's go back to Alisyn.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Anderson, we have a lot of thoughts on that.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we do.
CAMEROTA: This panel is filled with fashionista.
LEMON: By the way, Harry was waving at me, too, Anderson.
CAMEROTA: Through the TV.
LEMON: Through the TV.
CAMEROTA: I saw that.
LEMON: And Meghan said, hey, Don.
CAMEROTA: I did not see that part, though.
LEMON: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: So, there was this garden of celebrities that came in in beautiful, vibrant colors. Let's find out who your best-dressed guest was.
Whose outfit did you like the best?
ARBITER: I loved Amal Clooney. She looked fabulous in that bright yellow. She loves those bright colors. I thought, George Clooney was thinking, I'm Amal's escort today.
(CROSSTALK)
ARBITER: I'm beside her. I thought it was interesting Kate Middleton, the duchess of Cambridge, recycled her dress. She wore it for George's christening and the queen's birthday.
CAMEROTA: I like that. Why do you need a new dress?
ARBITER: I think she was saying, don't look at me. Look at the bride. It's all about her. Don't talk about what Kate was wearing. She dressed down for Pippa's wedding the same way, and the queen. I think that's good of her to say, focus on Meghan.
CAMEROTA: Speaking of Pippa, she also was not garnering as much attention as she was at Kate's wedding.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN HISTORIAN & ROYAL COMMENTATOR: No. She was wearing a simple off-the-rack dress, By the Fold, London, about $600 or $700, one could buy themselves.
Also, you know what I was disappointed about seeing blending in? Princesses Bea and Eugenie, who, last time, at Will and Kate's wedding, had that crazy fascinator.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: That became an internet meme. Quite literally, her hat became a symbol of pretzels everywhere.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: And today, she felt very Jackie to me. She was wearing a boat-neck collar and a pillbox hat.
ARBITER: Like '60s princess? (CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Maybe she learned her lesson. Not all of the memes were kind.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: There's a happy medium between Internet me and flight attendant.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: If you're going to do it, though, do it.
What did you think?
CAMEROTA: Well, look, Amal Clooney can wear a garbage bag and look glamorous so I'm not sure she counts. I was looking at Posh spice, known as Victoria Beckham, because she's a fashion plate. She was subdued in Navy.
WILLIAMS: Oprah looked good.
CAMEROTA: Oprah looked great in that lavender, I guess, lilac. She looked lovely. I liked -- there's Posh Spice, as we know her, Victoria Beckham, as she prefers to be called. Serena Williams had on a beautiful dress as well.
What did you think, Don?
LEMON: Two things. The bride, obviously, was the most beautiful. I looked at her. But I loved Oprah's hat. I loved Camilla's hat. And Idris Elba's wife had an interesting outfit on. It looked like Gucci. I'm not sure. Oprah wore a traditional church-lady hat. It was very respectful.
ZEE: I agree.
LEMON: You mentioned that as well.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN COMMENTATOR: The queen. The color of the queen.
CAMEROTA: Oh, yes. I call it chartreuse.
QUEST: I'm want sure what chartreuse is.
CAMEROTA: It's a lemon/lime.
WILLIAMS: It was wonderful color.
ANGELA LEVINAND, AUTHOR & PRINCE HARRY BIOGRAPHER: I thought --
(CROSSTALK) LEVINAND: She looked elegant. She looked restrained. She looked absolutely smart as can be in a simple dress. I love that color on her. Otherwise, I was slightly disappointed how modest everything was. I didn't see cleavage anywhere.
(LAUGHTER)
CAMEROTA: You were looking for cleavage.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: You know, they had high necks, long sleeves. And sometimes they looked great in them and sometimes they looked a little bit dowdy.
CAMEROTA: I do want to --
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: They didn't look -- there wasn't a huge amount of color. I mean, there wasn't -- considering it's spring. It's a beautiful day. It's Windsor. It's a celebratory occasion. You talk about Victoria Beckham's dress. Maybe I'm alone in this. It was boring and dull.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Tell us how you really feel.
I have to agree with you when you talked about Meghan's mom. I got a note from someone who's a fashionista and she said, the only one chicer than Meghan was her mother who was utterly divine.
(CROSSTALK)
[09:45:02] LEVINAND: She looked dignified. She was there trying not to cry copiously and holding herself together. I thought she came across as a really dignified, self-controlled woman, who would be supportive of her daughter, which is very important on her wedding day.
WILLIAMS: I felt bad for her in a way. We kept looking at her in the chapel and she was sitting alone. There was no other family member or no other -- I mean, I'm sure it was a moment and she wanted to cherish it, she was emotional. But there was no one from the --
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: I just felt they could have put her with somebody she could nudge with or rub her shoulder.
CAMEROTA: A wedding buddy.
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: Yes, a wedding buddy.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: Prince Charles was very kind. At the end of the service, he took her hand and he walked her out.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: I thought that was very moving as well. He's done very well on this wedding. And Harry, I think, will remember that for a long time. You know, there have been a lot of disputes for years.
(CROSSTALK)
ARBITER: It was amazing when he said, thanks, Pa. When Charles brought Meghan -
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: That's a big change in the royal family, that the older generation and the younger one are bonding together now, forgiving the past. and moving on. It's like the beginning of a new chapter.
LEMON: Look, we all agree, it's a kumbaya moment. I think the moment, an out-of-body experience to see her daughter in this moment.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Still ahead, though -- we've got to run. Still ahead, the youngest royals and their most adorable moments. Did they steal the show? That's the question.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:49:56] CAMEROTA: OK, you see little Charlotte there, looking beautiful, or splendid, with her crown of flowers.
We need to talk, Don, about the kids.
LEMON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: There were some scene-stealing moments where the kids played a wonderful role in this. They were her bridal party.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: She didn't have a maid of honor, she used the kids.
LEMON: Oh, my god.
CAMEROTA: I have to show this minute. Watch the page boy behind her, carrying her veil. There's a moment where he gives -- this grin. He's so excited. He flashes that big, toothless grin, which is an upstaging moment.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: That's become the picture of the moment. LEMON: I love this, too. I love in the car. I love them waiting and
then getting out. It's just beautiful. The kids stole the show, they really did. Don't you think?
ARBITER: It's wonderful to see how much Princess Charlotte loves the crowd. She was waving when she went to see her older brother. She's waiving again today. It's great to see she is not scared of the crowd. They are completely thrilled to be there, not scared, as in the past.
LEMON: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: -- behaved. I mean, I'm astonished they behaved so well.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: Ten of the seven.
LEVINAND: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Ten children --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: Amazing. Right.
LEMON: You took the words out of my mouth. Usually, kids are hesitant to walk down the aisle. And they're a little bit bashful and shy. But these kids were not.
WILLIAMS: These are god kids. Remember, Harry and Meghan are close to these children. Meaghan is godmother to several of them. And Harry is godfather to some of them, too. I imagine there's a comfort there with the kids.
(CROSSTALK)
ARBITER: So cute.
QUEST: That moment of them walking up the stairs, the children with their mothers, holding their hands, corralling them into the posse to walk down.
LEMON: Look at that. That's a beautiful shot.
QUEST; That shows it was a family wedding, at the end of the day. It was not a staged occasion. It was friends and family with their kids, getting them together so she could walk down the aisle.
ARBITER: Think of Diana's wedding. Mothers were banned.
QUEST: Right.
ARBITER: Only nannies were allowed to take the bridesmaids to accompany Diana and get dressed. It was mother's this time. It's reflects Meghan's strong female friendships, respect for the Duchess of Cambridge, and how important it is to have the mother helping out with all these little people.
CAMEROTA: Clare Waight Keller, of Givenchy, also designed the little girls' dresses as well.
ARBITER: So simple.
CAMEROTA: Again, similar designs.
LEMON: This is the showstopper.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: I wonder what he was looking, or if he was just consumed by the moment. That's probably what happened. He's so happy to be part of it.
ARBITER: Max was saying, in quite a few rehearsals and not everything went right. In all the rehearsals, things had gone wrong. It's marvelous that every rehearsal went wrong but, on the day, it went better, perfect.
LEMON: Look behind us. The weather. They could not pick a more picture-perfect day.
QUEST: Picture-perfect.
COOPER: You were talking about the weather. This is the --
QUEST: We'll always get a few weeks of weather like this. If you can get the right weather on the right day, at the right time, now you nailed it.
(LAUGHTER)
Anybody who tried to have a holiday in Britain knows the nature of that occupation.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: It was a very good moment.
LEMON: I think all the kids, it shows how youthful now, there's a certain youthful vigor to the royal family.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: That was shown today.
ARBITER: I think it reflected Prince Harry as well. Meghan was hands on. Prince Harry chose the engagement. Of course --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Is that real?
CAMEROTA: Yes, it's real. Kate gave it to me.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: Prince Harry was out picking flowers at Kensington Palace to accompany the set bouquet. There was Forget Me Nots. Remember, Diana. We saw little touches. I'm sure he approved of the dress. So much was what he was thinking, too, and what would make Meghan happy.
LEMON: This is beautiful.
CAMEROTA: It's to size.
WILLIAMS: Don, you can get it at the souvenir shop.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I know.
You are going to start talking like this.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: On behalf of the British taxpayer, thank you for all the tax --
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Rubbish.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: -- things you have bought on Windsor High Street in the last two days. You have helped the economy, ma'am.
LEMON: I love this moment with Charles and Meghan. It was fantastic.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: Every sinew is held tight.
CAMEROTA: (CROSSTALK)
Back to the kids for a second. What do you think Kate's role is? Kate was the star. She was so beautiful and glamorous until Meghan showed up. How is this going to work?
LEVINAND: It's a tricky situation. Kate is the wife of the heir to the throne by one. Meghan has come in with hundreds of ideas, forceful energy. I think it's her nature to step back a little bit and just watch. She's very careful of putting a foot wrong. I think she will be moving forward very carefully. I think she's helped her a lot.
CAMEROTA: You think Kate helped Meghan a lot? LEVINAND: Kate has helped Meghan a lot.
CAMEROTA: How so?
[09:55:02] LEVINAND: She's told her how it was. She's the only one that knows that. The others were born into royalty. It's custom they have had from birth. Kate came from a middle-class family, very happy middle-class family. William helped her learn it. She's been with William since they were at university. She had a long time to learn the details.
CAMEROTA: Waity Katy.
LEVINAND: She was rather cruelly named Waity Katy. She loved him, and she was going to wait. He found it difficult to commit, as do lots of people from a difficult divorced family.
LEMON: Who does Meghan bond with? Is it Kate? Is that her -- do you think their pal --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVINAND: I think, at the moment, she's just absorbed with Harry, and Harry is absorbed with her. It will take time. They are certainly friendly, they live next door. They will be helpful to each other. They've seen the kids. They love -- Harry is brilliant as an uncle. But I think how that relationship develops. They are both strong women. But they are polar opposites of strength. Kate is strong for William. She wants William to be happy and wants him to know what a normal, happy family life is. Meghan is, here I am. That will have to sort itself out.
QUEST: You were talking, the modernizing of the family, how these two women do modernize together while, you know, recognizing Kate goes in front. Kate, Catherine speaks first. Catherine is going to be the queen. But you are right. In the future, we could see a very different relationship. This speaks to the idea of the closeness of William and Harry. They are together in the way they handle this.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: That's what I said earlier when I said to heck with the royal family. What I meant is sort of the heck with tradition. She may not be so concerned with tradition. But she's certainly has to think about it. That's the tight rope she has to walk.
CAMEROTA: Hold your thoughts, everyone.
Coming up, we want to talk about another angle we've only touched on and that is honoring Princess Diana. She was seen in little moments and flourishes throughout this as well. How was she remembered by Harry and Meghan today? And how was she missed? That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
