Dear Harry and Meghan, Happy anniversary to you and to what might have been

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Two years ago, I watched in awe as Prince Harry finally got his happily ever after. Looking at Meghan's ecstatic face, bouncing with joy, as she joined Harry at the altar, you would never have suspected the family controversy only days before. The only evidence was Meghan walking alone, part way, up the aisle. Creating one of the most compelling royal wedding images ever.

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Today was indeed special. Harry had spent the last 7 years playing third wheel to William and Catherine at joint engagements. Now he would finally have a happy family of his own. There were signs this ceremony would be different, it was more personal and less formal. Judging by the reaction shots of the royals during the ceremony, they seemed uncertain how to respond to Bishop Michael Curry's energetic sermon. I doubt St George's Chapel had ever hosted an American gospel choir within its 500 year history. It was an unforgettable and unique day.

At the time. William, Catherine, Harry and Meghan, were lauded as the 'Fab Four'. Two years on, the royal family looks very different. It is hard to celebrate when the two couples held such promise for the future. Each generation plays a role in reinvigorating an institution viewed by many as outdated in democratic society. Queen Victoria was 18 when she inherited the throne, a fresh start after reigns of dissolute kings. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and their young family, offered stability after the abdication crisis. Their daughter, Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, heralded a new future when she made her 21st birthday speech in South Africa in 1947.

Each heir has a path, a predetermined future, providing continuity people expect. But there are consequences when you step out of your lane or ignore it altogether. Prince Edward, later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor, was a counterpoint to his stuffy parents. He brought the worst controversy in modern royal history. Princess Margaret had a scandalous relationship with Peter Townsend. Charles, Diana, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson brought their own troubles. Diana's death struck a different blow. For all of the doom and gloom predictions, the royal family survived, as they always do. But it is somewhat ironic that Camilla, the source of so much anguish in Charles and Diana's marriage, should be the one to help steady the ship.

William and Catherine are now caretakers of the future. Harry and Meghan tried to mould a different future and paid a high price in trying. Despite good intentions, maybe they never had a chance to begin with. Regardless of what happens in the future, the royal institution will continue, as it always does.

Today is Harry and Meghan's second wedding anniversary. A day to celebrate their happiness and joy. It is also a reminder of a promising future and what might have been.

© Marilyn Braun 2020

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