Shropshire Star comment: Wedding a beacon of splendour

Opportunities to seize moments like these do not come around often, so we should not feel awkward about putting aside those seas of troubles for a short while and taking the opportunity to celebrate.

It was a splendid, magnificent occasion, which gave a chance for Britain to put on a show in the way only Britain can – with the colour, pomp, ceremony and even with the weather playing ball for a change. The Americans, of course, loved it.

At the heart was a very modern royal love match, although royal historians will no doubt point out that Harry is not the first royal to have an actress catch his eye.

And while Harry could hardly be called a stuffy royal, Meghan brings with her a breath of fresh air, a woman of substance who had already carved out a place in the public consciousness with her achievements and campaigns.

As somebody who has spent much of her life in the public eye, she will be better prepared for the goldfish bowl life of a royal than some. This is as well, as the fascination about her has been intense ever since she was first linked with Harry, and that will continue during her married life.

Their story is like an old fashioned fairy tale in which a young girl who acts the part of the princess meets her handsome prince and becomes a real-life princess. While Britain and our royal family will gain immeasurably, we should remember with appreciation what Meghan is giving up by leaving behind her loved ones in America.

This is a wedding that has underlined just how much Britain, including the Church of England, has changed during the long reign of our Queen.

Turn back the clock to, say, the late 1950s, and imagine the reaction if a member of the royal family had announced that he was planning to marry an American mixed-race divorcee, educated at a private Roman Catholic school. Incidentally, Meghan has recently been quietly baptised into the Church of England – the Queen is of course head of the Church.

We wish the wedded couple long life and enduring happiness, and should they visit these parts, as Harry trained at RAF Shawbury, they will get an enthusiastic welcome.