Cornelia Powell
author & guest speaker, wedding folklorist & fashion historian
{A Day of Gracious Gestures and Love Power}
The wedding celebration of Prince Henry of Wales and "princess-to-the-whole-world" Ms. Meghan Markle was truly a "Windsor knot" of love and diversity, beauty and harmony, inclusion and passion, acted out on a world stage in perfect archetypal timing as only old souls on a spiritual mission can do. Lighting up the world for the rest of us!
I was touched by the news a few days before the wedding about the gracious gesture by the Prince of Wales (Harry's beloved father and future king) accepting Meghan's invitation, in the absence of her own father, to be her bridal escort. And it played out even more beautifully and mythically than could be imagined.
Meghan, confidently and joyfully on her own, entered St. George's Chapel to the sound of trumpets on a sunlit noontime, carrying a small, sentimental bouquet of forget-me-nots and other delicate flowers picked by her groom the morning before in the gardens of Kensington Palace (where his late mother had lived and he now made a home with Meghan.) The radiant bride, in designer-sculpted shimmering white silk and the most feminine filigree diamond tiara—"something old and something borrowed" from the Queen—began her walk down the aisle as the voice of a lyrical soprano lifts in "light divine and glory" with two delighted pageboys holding up her floral-embroidered, nod-to-the-monarchy, long silk veil.
As Prince Charles met her under the archway marking the end of the nave—lush with locally-gathered greenery and white flowers—offering his arm to escort Meghan through the Quire and the rest of the journey to the altar to stand beside his youngest son ("Thank you, Pa," Harry acknowledges with a smile), it was as though the grand old patriarchy was bowing to the young goddess, honoring her lineage, and delivering her safely and gallantly to the far shore, where she would then help ignite a new world that genuinely knows of love.
Of course, the imagery of Meghan, a successful woman of experience and substance, self-assuredly walking down the aisle alone on her wedding day could be taken as a bold feminist statement, especially for a royal wedding—needing no one to hold her up, give her away, or speak for her—so any action otherwise would simply have been an outdated tradition. (Although an escort, how I consider it, could be appropriately offered, just as it was, as an act of courtesy and respect.) Nonetheless, what truly struck me as the defining moments of the day were these archetypal gestures by kindly menfolk: offering their attendant arm, handpicked flowers, and pure exuberance. The father, the groom, the boys; the past, the present, the future—giving of themselves in the most respectful, tender, even reverent way. After all, on some level I would wager, they knew this fresh wave of feminine consciousness now sweeping the world is the future we all long for...and this day represented its promise in every expression. There was something much deeper brewing here.
And the preacher-man got there—right down into the heart of the matter: the redeeming power of love! Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, who traveled to Windsor from Chicago, declared that "love is the only way." With soulful hand-gesturing passion, he reminded the audience (even the upper-crust British members, perhaps accustomed to their less emotional, don't-knock-tradition way of doing things): "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way." Going off-script, he mentioned some of the most horrific practices of the old patriarchy that denied love in the world—and had us squirming in our seats! But how else do you stir up the resistance, re-ignite the revolution, awake the 'unwoke' to the power of love?
Harry and Meghan are on a mission, accepting each other's wedding request to "stand by me" as they lead their power-of-love revolution, taking on nothing less than changing the world. Their wedding-day ceremony, a reflection of their own mixed histories, included archbishops and reverends from various religions; guests from all backgrounds and locations; music from classical British composers, an American bluesman and a Welsh deacon—there were hymns, an orchestra and a gospel choir; readings from the Song of Solomon—the most sensuous of biblical references; a teenage cellist from Nottingham playing like an old master in the midst of royal Medieval heritage; there were the ancient and the possible. This gleaming day also included lots of handholding, "a room full of happiness," and fiery love prophets; a proud and teary, independent, free-spirited mother-of-the bride as well as the fragrance of white garden roses arranged in memory of the groom's own unforgettable mother. Then there were those gentlemanly gestures in honor of the emerging modern woman and the legacy she represents. There is indeed something deeper brewing here and we are all invited to the love revolution! ~
Posted by Cornelia Powell at 4:50 PM 0 comments
Labels: Meghan Markle, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Reverend Michael Curry, Royal Weddings
{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 7: Royal Wedding Redux
Continuing the series for Confluence Daily, "Why Royal Weddings Matter," we celebrate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding with a look at a past bridal remembrance, reprinted here:
Royal Wedding Redux
in British tradition, wedding vows are a morning affair, and if we were to catch the first glimpse of the beautiful bride, we needed to be "front and center" very early. My friends and I were a little old for a slumber party, but as we gathered in our pajamas at 4 a.m. in front of my clunky television in Atlanta, Georgia, the anticipation and giddiness was "ageless." It was July 29, 1981, and like millions of people around the world, we prepared to watch the royal wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales. (We even had snacks to match the occasion: scones with homemade fig jam and Earl Grey tea with lemon—perhaps to not only feed our early morning hunger, but also some inherent dreams of being a princess.)
As the world welcomes a new "princess" today, we are reminded of another celebrated royal wedding almost four decades ago. It was a landmark event broadcast in 74 countries and watched around the world by over 750 million people—including me and my pajama-party friends!
The moment Diana stepped out of that fairy-tale-inspired glass coach on her wedding morning with endless yards of silk train magically materializing with her—"like seeing a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis," her gown designers wrote later—she had us hook, line and sinker. Princess Diana did not invent our fascination with royalty, nevertheless, her wedding ushered in a whole new ballgame—and the world was never quite the same.
As the first worldwide media spectacular, and probably the defining event of the eighties—a decade in which style so often trumped substance—the glittering happening brought ceremonial weddings back in style almost overnight. It resurrected the bridal industry from the social upheavals of the previous two decades and set the pace for a new era of fancy wedding hoopla: elaborate designer gowns; staged over-the-top productions; refined Martha Stewart details; and the wedding as a "consumer rite." (Sound familiar?)
Since the same media blitz followed Diana and Charles' soap-opera marriage and thorny divorce, many people became wary of fairy tales and princesses. However, the endearing William and Kate, with their dignity and realness, made us fall in love all over again! And, of course, the royal buzz was on once more last fall when charming Prince Harry and lovely Meghan Markle announced their engagement. But there were and are differences.
Like her now sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Meghan is not "blue-blooded" (not even British, yet that will change after she marries the prince), but like what attracted William to Kate, Meghan has other qualities that were more important to Harry. Thanks in part to the princes' mother cracking open the staid and out-of-touch British monarchy, revealing how "dynastic duty" has little to do with love and happiness, and, to insure they didn't get boxed-in by the past, insisting her sons have the grounding of real-world experience. All of which helped to free William and Harry to choose to marry from their true heart's desire. (Tweaking a quote from journalist extraordinaire Tina Brown, who has covered the weddings of Charles and Diana, William and Kate, and now Harry and Meghan: "Everything Diana had wished for her sons has come to pass. They each found the woman who would bring them the personal contentment she lacked.")
So not only is the return to elegant wedding pageantry part of Diana's legacy, but her most lasting legacy just may be Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle—and the more egalitarian world available to them as the two young women bring their confident, modern, compassionate and open-minded "princessdom" to a world ready for some genuine graciousness. Thank heavens for royal weddings! Tea, anyone? ~
[Excerpts from The End of the Fairy-Tale Bride: For Better or Worse, How Princess Diana Rescued the Great White Wedding … a book for anyone who likes their wedding pageantry tossed with a little fashion history and princess brides! Available on Amazon.]
Posted by Cornelia Powell at 8:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: "Why Royal Weddings Matter", Kate Middleton, Martha Stewart, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Diana, Royal Weddings, Tina Brown
{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 6: Wedding Vows
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is almost here! I'm happy to reprint the latest in my series, "Why Royal Weddings Matter," published on Confluence Daily. Enjoy remembrances of royal weddings past....
The bride's entrance into the majesty of St. Paul's was announced by a fanfare from trumpeters high inside the cathedral's celebrated dome. Perhaps they were not only announcing a princess bride, but prophetically heralding in, for better or worse, a new era. Thirty-seven years ago, Lady Diana Spencer's charismatic appeal as a bride, combined with the grand splendor of the British monarchy, revived the "great white wedding"—helped along with society's need for order and tradition, a little Reaganomics, plus a dash of glam and glitter!
Or as author Maria McBride-Mellinger described changes following the royal wedding in 1981: "After more than a decade of swinging singles and disco infernos, suddenly everyone wanted to be married and every bride wanted a gown fit for a queen: regal and ornate, with a lengthy train, and a jeweled veil. The big white wedding was back in style and no expense seemed too great."
Signaling another change of the times (something more archetypal, affecting the archaic structure of relationships), the bride and groom made royal history that day with a break in tradition even before becoming husband and wife. Removing some outdated words from the Church of England's 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer, as the couple stood before the archbishop of Canterbury, and witnessed by nearly a million-fold television audience, the bride's marriage vows did not include the promise "to obey."
A London byline in The Washington Post a few days before the wedding reported that the archbishop of Canterbury revealed "the decision to drop this vow was made very quickly in his discussion of the service with Charles and Diana and that he told them, the usual clergyman's joke. 'It's a bad thing to start your marriage off with a downright lie.' He told reporters that many couples now omit the vow, which was a remnant from the Middle Ages, when a wife would pledge 'to be bonny and buxom in bed and board.'"
I don't doubt the archbishop's knowledge of history regarding marriage vows including "to love, cherish and obey." However, my understanding of the Latin meaning of the word "obey" as used in the old marriage text is "to hear, to deeply listen"—a promise that would be beneficial, even essential, to any successful marriage, yes? If that's the case, my only complaint with the original marriage vows is that the pledge "to obey" (i.e., "to listen") was in the woman's declaration but not in the man's. Is the promise "to love and cherish" truly possible without "deep listening"?
The gift of giving someone your focused attention, the gift of "deep listening," is most precious. Perhaps because such a connection was so painfully missing in Charles and Diana's relationship, they instilled in their sons a sixth sense about finding, cherishing and protecting love and harmony. We saw this intimacy of connection during the marriage vows of their first son Prince William and Kate Middleton—"their chemistry lit up the screen," as Tina Brown wrote in Newsweek following their wedding. "Everything about her actions, to and for William, is about creating a feeling of safe continuity: You know me. I am here." We've seen this soulful closeness continue in their marriage and now in the relationship of second son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, kindred spirits who found each other although from vastly different backgrounds.
I look forward to the upcoming royal wedding, the marriage ceremony of Harry and Meghan—not just for the "glam and glitter," but especially to be present to the intimate recognition of the other, the deep listening of love in action, and the "set the world on fire" changes possible when wedding vows are made inside a spiritual partnership like both of these modern-day princes and their beloveds have created. All of life, then, becomes an awakening to "love and cherish."
Certain wedding "traditions"—royal or otherwise—are indeed outdated and need tossing aside; others are keepers in their own right. Then there are those traditions that simply need the wisdom of a woman's touch! ~
[In part, excerpted from The End of the Fairy-Tale Bride: For Better or Worse, How Princess Diana Rescued the Great White Wedding, available on Amazon.]
Labels: "Why Royal Weddings Matter", Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Diana, Royal Weddings, Tina Brown
{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 5: A Whiter Shade of Pale
Enjoy this fifth column in my series "Why Royal Weddings Matter"....reprinted from Confluence Daily.
A Whiter Shade of Pale:
Meghan Markle and Bridal White
The centerpiece of the "great white wedding"—a tradition we've inherited in all its Victorian glory—is the bride's gown. Once white became the bridal color in the nineteenth century, the wedding dress became steeped in dreams and emotions and lots of "meaning."
By the time of Princess Diana's royal wedding in 1981, bringing weddings back from the brink of nearly two decades of social unrest, the notion of "virgin white" had not been completely swept away with the sexual revolution of the 1960s and '70s. There were still underpinnings of deeply entrenched beliefs about the "rules" of wearing different shades of white—ivory, cream, beige—inferring one's "virginal status." ("If I wear cream," a concerned bride-to-be asked me in the early '80s, "will people think I'm not a virgin?") Costume historian Donald Clay Johnson believes the decades' long "acceptance of white, symbolizing 'purity,' is a reflection of the pervasive power of English Victorian society to impose its value system throughout many parts of the world."
Now, however, in our Internet-equalizer, glam-image crazed world there is a near universal popularity of the gown that turns any bride into a "vision in white" (no matter her age or how many times she's been married, whether widowed or divorced) and evokes some kind of "princess" tingling down to her toes. Has the color white—once reserved for "maidens" only—finally lost any cultural and emotional symbolism and is now just a "pretty preference" for brides?
Fashion designers think so! The appealingly "unspoiled" nature of white is why many couturiers still have a wedding gown as their theatrical runway finale. When "stripped of religious and outdated cultural meanings, white—pure and dramatic—is the perfect canvas to showcase the intense craftsmanship of couture," Eleanor Thompson wrote in her book featuring fifty iconic wedding dresses.
Of course, Meghan Markle is not just any modern, savvy, independent woman getting married again. Her second wedding will be a very publicized, talked about, viewed world-wide royal wedding. So, naturally, there has been much curiosity about Meghan's choice for her bridal gown: what designer, what style, what silhouette—but very little conversation about what color she will choose. Even though she is marrying into one of the oldest monarchies on earth, in a grand religious ceremony brimming over with ancient tradition, to a man whose grandmother is head of the church—will Meghan make a choice based solely on her good taste and good fashion sense?
Vogue magazine, which thinks Meghan "demonstrates a growing sense of ease and confidence with her fashion choices for royal engagements," advises the soon-to-be royal bride about her wedding gown choice: "You can't go wrong with the classics." (It sounds as if "wearing white" is merely assumed. We, along with the British monarchy, have indeed come a long way!)
In the mid-1980s, on the glittering culture-changing wave following Diana and Charles' royal wedding, I opened a bridal art-to-wear shop in Atlanta for the emerging modern woman, a "grown-up bride" as I called her. (I closed the store in late 1999; I thought the end of a millennium was a good transition point to complete one life phase and begin another, especially with the coming feminine energy powerhouse of the next thousand years—but that's another story!) During these shop years, when brides-to-be asked me about the symbolism of white, I suggested that if they had it "mean" anything then why not choose "celebration"—and joy and inclusion and love. I find that wearing white always has a ceremonial and regal quality, for whatever occasion, taking on a kind of radiance. And I think Meghan Markle will choose from this spirit-centered, radiant place where a woman simply knows her true self and her heart's deepest desire. ~
[Want to know more about the "great white wedding"? The End of the Fairy-Tale Bride: For Better or Worse, How Princess Diana Rescued the Great White Wedding tells all! Available on Amazon.]
Labels: "the great white wedding", "Why Royal Weddings Matter", bridal gowns, Confluence Daily, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Princess Diana, Royal Weddings
{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 4: Channeling Kindness
Continuing the celebration of the upcoming royal wedding, here's my latest column for Confluence Daily in the "Why Royal Weddings Matter" series. Enjoy "Channeling Kindness"....reprinted below.
Channeling Kindness
"Well, is he nice?" Meghan Markle asked about Prince Harry of Wales when a well-connected friend offered to arrange a blind date between the two famous thirty-somethings. Only familiar with the royals via media headlines, she explained, everything else about the prince was a moot point for her "if he wasn't kind."
As most of the world now knows, the couple got engaged last fall and will marry in May. It appears Meghan, an activist and humanitarian, found a common spirit in her kind-hearted prince. They have already made a dynamic partnership in their altruistic work together focused on the youth of the world. "Meghan is going to be a force," People magazine reported, citing a palace source. "She will help him define his role and relate to the public in a way that he wouldn't have been able to do before. It was worth the wait."
Harry and Meghan want as many people as possible to benefit from the generosity of spirit that bubbles up around wedding celebrations. So, continuing the precedent set by William and Kate (and now the trend with regular couples, who were, in turn, inspired by the young royals), they are asking the public to "channel kindness," noted Natalie Hinde in Huffington Post, requesting any wedding gifts be made in the form of a donation to one of their personally selected charities—they chose seven "which reflect their shared values." (Plus, I doubt they really need any household items or another cut crystal bowl!)
Considered a "personal" wedding (distinct from a "state" occasion where it's appropriate to invite heads of state from around the world), Harry and Meghan's ceremony is rather small compared to other Windsor weddings. (Only 600 friends and family members received the coveted invitations to attend the wedding service at St. George's Chapel and following reception. Yet Harry, who remained close to his mother's family, invited the Spencer clan—Diana's three siblings and their families—to both wedding and reception, including the evening's let-your-hair-down party for 200 at Frogmore Hall.) Nonetheless, Harry and Meghan have extended special invitations to almost 2700 people "from every corner of the United Kingdom"—people of all ages and backgrounds who have served their communities, plus members of the royal household—to be part of their wedding by gathering on the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the comings and goings of the day's festivities. (I'd like to be part of that group!)
I find it a pleasure to be drawn into the love story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Given the archetypal nature of royalty, representing something stirring in the collective consciousness, it's most heartening to know that a deep level of "kindness" is brewing on such a glittering world stage to help counteract the harshness that's been unleashed in the world of late.
Kindness has indeed taken a hit recently in the rude realm of "trumpery," but as British novelist Amelia Edith Barr wrote: "Kindness is always fashionable." Both of Princess Diana and Prince Charles' sons inherited a tender, thoughtful side from their parents—and both William and Harry attracted life partners who seem to nurture and encourage that tenderness. (The expression "real men are kind-hearted" comes to mind!)
"Channel kindness" is an apt directive today—and perhaps a reason so many people are captivated by this vibrant couple who are creating such joy in being in service to others. I say let's all enjoy and celebrate this royal wedding, immersing ourselves in heart-centered energy—and feel the spirit of kindness rising in the world, then pass it forward.~
[I'm working on a new book, A Memory of Beauty: The Spiritual Mission of a Princess—which explores the transformational nature of kindness.]
Labels: Huffington Post, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, People magazine, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Diana, Royal Weddings
Meet Cornelia
My Latest Book!
"The End of the Fairy-Tale Bride: For Better or Worse, How Princess Diana Rescued the Great White Wedding"
"Kindness is always fashionable." ~Amelia Edith Barr
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Costume Stories from Downton Abbey to the Titanic to Suffrage Fashion!
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Cornelia's Suffrage Centennial Presentations:
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and Upcoming Presentations....
July 31, 2020 - Cashiers, NC
August 18, 2020 - Highlands, NC
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The mission of WVCI is to serve as a central organizing and information-sharing entity for programs, projects, and activities that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment....
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Suffrage Centennial Celebration
Massachusetts Celebrates with 100 Events for 100 Years
Any Great Change: The Centennial of the 19th Amendment
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Project 19: 19 Commissions by Women at the New York Philharmonic
"The Mother of Us All"
Washington DC Celebrates
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Empowerment of the Double Drawback: African American Women and the Suffrage
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National Women's History Alliance
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Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote
100th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote
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Mrs. Banks was a Suffragette!
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Women's Long Road - 100 Years to the Vote
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What To Tell Our Daughters
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One of Cornelia's costume talks & PowerPoint Presentations:
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CORNELIA POWELL - Featured Speaker at Winterthur & Biltmore during Downton Abbey costume exhibits
"Broadway Dame: The Life & Times of Mrs. Henry B. Harris"
"The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote"
Amazon Bestseller by Cornelia Powell
"The Bride's Ritual Guide: Look Inside to Find Yourself" {full of messages every bride will love reading over & over}
Now Revised Print Edition!
"The Handkerchief Has Been Thrown! Something Old & Something New for Same-Sex Couples {Musings on Love, Weddings & Handkerchiefs}
COSTUME EXHIBITIONS:
Exhibition of "The Crown" costumes at Winterthur Museum through 5 Jan 2020
Diana: Designing for a Princess
New exhibit at Kensington Palace - Items from Diana's wardrobe complemented by designer's sketches, notes....
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Over 500 objects displayed from the storied fashion house at the V&A {through 1 September 2019}
Exhibit includes 60 costumes {Now showing in Boston}
Coming to Biltmore 8 November 2019
Haute Couture and the French Fashion Industry 1870-1970 {til 22 Dec 2019}
Ladies of the Titanic
Charming Paper Doll Book created by Costume Historians!
Reimagining a Legend
My article in Huffington Post on recreating Cornelia Vanderbilt's c1924 wedding gown
Don't You Love Vintage Hankies?
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Consider Not Wearing a Strapless Dress, Unless...
"Open Your Heart" Meditation CD for Brides
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The Lineage of Women Movie
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{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 7: Royal Wedding R...
{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 5: A Whiter Shade ...
{Why Royal Weddings Matter} No. 4: Channeling Kind...
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