Meghan Markle is being baptized into the Church of England before marrying Prince Harry
In just a few months, the whole world will watch Prince Harry marry the American actress Meghan Markle—and then, of course, they’ll live happily ever after!
But before their May 19 wedding in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, Markle has a couple of tasks to accomplish: She will be baptized and confirmed in the Church of England, also known as Anglicanism.
Markle’s parents—her mom, Doria Ragland, and her dad, Thomas Markle—are reportedly flying to the United Kingdom to see her baptism and confirmation at Kensington Palace later this month, according to The Times of London.
Raglund lives in California, where she is a yoga instructor. Thomas Markle is a former lighting director in Hollywood, who has worked on the shows “Married … With Children” and “General Hospital.” He currently lives in Mexico.
Meghan’s Religion
Growing up in Los Angeles, Markle was raised as a Protestant. Her mom is Protestant, while her father is Episcopalian. She attended a Catholic high school in LA called Immaculate Heart High School (where she was a budding theater student!).
In September 2011, Markle married her longtime boyfriend, producer Trevor Engelson, and celebrated with a Jewish wedding ceremony. However, she did not convert to Judaism and the couple divorced two years later.
In 2016, Harry and Markle were introduced by a mutual friend on a blind date and began dating; in November 2017, they announced their engagement.
Joining The Church
Markle will be baptized and confirmed as Anglican by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Welby has said it is “not a problem” for the Church of England that Markle was previously married. The royal family notoriously would not allow Princess Margaret, who is the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, to marry a divorced man, Peter Townsend, in the 1950s.
Nowadays, the Church of England allows divorced people to remarry “in exceptional circumstances.” The Archbishop of Canterbury will likely meet with Markle to discuss her past divorce and provide counseling before she marries Prince Harry.
Her baptism and confirmation ceremony will be private, as was the confirmation ceremony for Kate Middleton prior to her marriage to Prince William. Middleton’s confirmation occurred in a church service at St. James’ Palace by the Bishop of London. As a baby, she had been baptized in Berkshire, where her family lives.
Prince Harry was baptized into the Church of England after his birth. The royal family’s faith is important, as the Queen holds the title of “Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.”
Although Markle has already been known to break some customs within the royal family—being a divorcée, for one, but also hugging members of the public—on the matter of joining her husband’s religion, she is being entirely traditional.