Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Still High From the Royal Wedding

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I wasn’t planning to watch live as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married yesterday but Purrkoy the cat decided I would regret missing it. Accordingly, he loudly sang the song of his people at 5:55 a.m., and after I woke up, I figured I might as well turn on the TV.

Eeee! #royalwedding

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I briefly wondered if PK was taking an unusual interest in the monarchy because he has a royalty-inspired name, but Edward the dog and FitzRoy the cat are also named for the Tudors and they were sleeping peacefully. PK is just a pain in the ass. By the way, he loves to perform but hates being recorded so I have to sneak up on him to obtain evidence. He was not at full volume in this video from last month.

I forgave PK because I wound up being as excited as the new Duchess of Sussex‘s page boy appeared to be.

I thought Meghan’s dress was classic but strong, and beautifully symbolic, as it was designed by British-born Clare Waight Keller, who is the first female artistic director of Givenchy.

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Of course, I was anxious to see the jewelry, which included an unexpected tiara choice.

But we can all agree that this was the peak moment, right?

It’s nice to see Harry so happy, especially considering he lost his mother when he was just 12 and then went through some tough times during his young adulthood. I was awake for Princess Diana’s wedding too, back in 1981, and it’s truly amazing how much the royal family has changed. It hit me hard that Meghan Markle is 36 — the same age Diana was when she died after 17 tumultuous years in the spotlight — and what a difference that made. Diana was a nursery-school teacher initially nicknamed “Shy Di” for her way of peeking out from behind the feathered hair that we all coveted. During her wedding at age 20, she was a little bit lost in the froth of her dress, and she nervously mixed up Charles’s name during the vows.

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In contrast, Meghan confidently made the first part of her journey down the wedding aisle herself, before taking the Charles’s arm for the rest of the way.

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At the same time that she set herself apart, Meghan paid homage to Diana with her jewelry. We already knew that Harry used two diamonds from Diana’s collection for the engagement ring. For the evening reception, the new duchess added an aquamarine cocktail ring that had belonged to Diana. This is what I love about jewelry and why I wanted to create it in the first place: It has emotional significance that spans generations. I refer to my own designs as “future heirlooms” because I know that some day they will be treasured by someone dear — or who would have been dear — to the original owner.

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Speaking of emotional significance, other people — including Lia Beck on Bustle and Sophia A. Nelson on The Grio — have written more eloquently than I ever could about what it means for a biracial American to not only marry into the royal family, but convey pride in her heritage throughout the ceremony.

The look on the face of Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, said it all.

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It’s such a joy — especially in these trying times — to witness a happy event. (If you need a little extra touch of glee, here’s this is reportedly Meghan’s rescue beagle riding in a car with his new great-grandma, Queen Elizabeth II.) And I want this to be forever my mood now:

Meghan Markle for the win!

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