Staunch HIV Activist Prince Harry Is Married

Americans celebrated the prince and passionate activist's marriage to Meghan Markle, who will be the first person of color to enter England's Royal Family.

The marriage was officiated by the head of the Church of England and featured a sermon the BBC dubbed "lively" by Bishop Michael Curry — a black American Episcopal from Chicago — who gave an address on the redemptive power of love that quoted liberally from the black spiritual tradition.

According to Vox: "Curry began and ended his address by quoting Martin Luther King Jr., and spent time on the legacy of slavery in between. And his speaking style was notably looser and freer than the rest of the speeches in the ceremony: He was speaking in the rhythm of black American preachers."

Nikki Ogunnaike, fashion director at Elle.com said, “While it's amazing that they've found each other and found love, I honestly don't care about the monarchy — and furthermore think it kind of sucks that she's now been reduced to headlines that describe her as “the Suits actress who is 36 years old and snagged a man,” instead of the feminist biracial woman who is going to use her mind and platform to change the world.”

Ogunnaike shared her thoughts, along with 15 other women of color in a recent article by Elle magazine, in which opinions varied on the topic. Writer Morgan Jerkins felt that having women of color in the Royal Family was ultimately a positive step.

During its coverage of the Royal Wedding the BBC interviewed interviewed Mercy Ngulube (who was born with HIV and was the first recipient last year of the Diana Legacy Award, created by William and Harry in memory of their mother) and Ian Green (CEO of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the U.K.'s leading AIDS organization, who spoke of the Royals' involvement).

Prince Harry has proved himself the inheritor of his mother's passion as an HIV activist.