Why did future princess Meghan Markle get baptized?
Klaus Krämer sb
May 2, 2018
England is feverishly awaiting the latest royal wedding on May 19 as Prince Harry of Wales, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, marries US actress Meghan Markle. But few were expecting the American bride to get baptized.
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Amid the hype in the lead-up to the royal nuptials, it was reported that Meghan Markle was quietly baptized and confirmed as an Anglican at St James's Palace in London in early March. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the Church of England, is said to have performed the private ceremony.
Though Markle attended a Catholic high school in Los Angeles, she was raised in a Protestant home. Indeed, her father is a member of the US Episcopal Church, which is part of the Anglican Communion, the umbrella arm of one of the world's largest Christian faiths that numbers some 85 million people in over 165 countries. Nonetheless, it's understood that Markle was never baptized.
Queen Elizabeth II: head of the Church of EnglandImage: picture-alliance/empics/J. Barlow
Markle's decision to be confirmed as an Anglican was in no way obligatory. Yet her late-life baptism shouldn't be surprising as her fiance's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is the leader and Supreme Governor of the Church of England — even if this is largely a ceremonial role.
Church of the Reformation
Anglicanism grew up in the late Middle Ages out of the Protestant Reformation that was then sweeping across Europe, and officially came into being with the formation of the Church of England in 1534.
This English Reformation began when a dispute between King Henry VIII (1491-1547) and the Roman Papacy over the legality of royal marriages caused the English bishops to break away from Rome in 1531 and declare that Henry — rather than the Pope — was the head of the English Church.
Merchandisers are already preparing for the big dayImage: picture-alliance/dpa/K.Wigglesworth
Two years later, the English Parliament passed a law that made King Henry the secular head of the new Church in England — a role the English royal family retains to this day.
Reverend Christopher Easthill, Rector of the Anglican/Episcopal Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury, points out that Catholic roots remain. "We say that we are Catholic and Reformed, Catholic because in our Reformation we have kept a great deal of the structure and liturgy of the Catholic Church."
Indeed, Henry VIII remained a "staunch Catholic," Easthill notes, with the King writing a critical essay of the German reformer Martin Luther and his teachings. As a result, he was awarded the title of "Defender of the Faith" by the Pope — despite his separation from Rome.
Nonetheless, since 1549 the Book of Common Prayer has set out the distinct prayers, sacraments, ecclesiastical actions and ministries of the Anglican Church.
As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce that they'll be leaving their royal position, here's a look back at how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got together and their ensuing relationship.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
US TV actor Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sixth-in-line to the British throne, met in July 2016 after they were introduced through friends. In September 2017, she told "Vanity Fair": "We're in love." They married less than 10 months later. In May 2019, Meghan gave birth to their first child, Archie. Now the couple has surprised the world by announcing that they'd leave their functions as royals.
Image: Getty Images/E. Mulholland
Watched by billions
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was the focus of a media frenzy months ahead of the event, held on May 19, 2018. The traditional royal ceremony included for the first time elements of African American culture, such as a gospel choir, in reference to Meghan's roots. Several high profile Hollywood celebrities were among the guests — friends of the former actress.
Image: Reuters
A smiling couple
Prince Harry and Markle were photographed holding hands for the first time in September 2017, during a wheelchair tennis competition at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The games for disabled or wounded soldiers and veterans were created by Harry.
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The young Harry
The youngest son of Prince Charles and the late princess Diana, Prince Henry of Wales — familiarly known as Prince Harry — was born in 1984. His childhood was dominated by his parents' messy divorce and Diana's tragically early death. The family is shown pictured together in 1995, with Harry on the left side next to his mother, and his brother Prince William next to their father.
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After Princess Diana's death
Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Harry was only 12 at the time, and his brother William, 15. This iconic picture shows the young princes bowing their heads as their mother's coffin is carried out of Westminster Abbey. The tragic event deeply affected Prince Harry.
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A long process of grief
Harry publicly revealed how much he had struggled throughout his life. In support of a mental health campaign, he revealed in an interview with the "Daily Telegraph" that he came "very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions." He added: "Shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life, but also my work as well."
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The playboy prince grows up
The impulsive prince appears to have inherited his mother's ability to connect with people, as well as her sense of mischief. Often photographed with different attractive women, he was long labelled a "playboy." He once told Newsweek that he "wanted out" of the Royal Family.
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The army as escape
Photographs of him wearing a swastika at a costume party that were published in 2005 caused outrage. That same year, he entered the army, as many other royals have done, and spent 10 years serving in the British forces. He later admitted that his military service "was the best escape I've ever had" from the constant public attention.
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A popular prince
Following his military career through which he served twice in Afghanistan, Harry has turned into one of Britain's most popular royals, not just within the country, but globally. Like his mother, he uses his public profile to raise awareness for different causes, including a recent campaign about mental health with William and Kate.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Wigglesworth
Meghan Markle
Britain barely knew who Meghan Markle was when her name started appearing on newspapers' front pages in October 2017. Born in 1981 in Los Angeles, as an actor she portrayed a lawyer in the hit TV show "Suits." News coverage on Prince Harry's girlfriend was hard-hitting, however, including comment pieces with "racial undertones" and "outright sexism and racism" online, said Harry's office.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/D. Lawson
First marriage with producer
Part of the criticism came in connection with her former marriage with film producer Trevor Engelson, from 2010 to 2013. Markle also had her own lifestyle blog, thetig.com, which she shut down after she came into the royal family's spotlight. On it, she had proudly declared her independence: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches — I've always wanted to be a woman who works," she wrote.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Invision/J. Strauss
Humanitarian work
Like the prince, Markle does humanitarian work. She's an ambassador for the Canadian charity "World Vision Canada," which works for children in developing countries, and she also campaigns for women's rights with the UN. The actress has a degree in communications.
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Anglicans need new blood
With over 80 million believers globally, the Anglican community is the world's third largest Christian faith behind the Roman Catholic Church (1.2 billion) and the Orthodox church (280 million).
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet the crowds in Nottingham, England in December 2017Image: Getty Images/C. Furlong
But while the Church of England itself has between 20 and 22 million members, according to estimates, a 2017 report by Britain's National Centre for Social Research found that membership in both the Church of England and numerous other Anglican denominations has roughly halved over the last 20 years.
The church will be hoping that its new high profile member can turn this trend around.
