With less than a week to go until the royal wedding, the final preparations are being made so that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can get married.
This weekend, Kensington Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother, has now signed the Instrument of Consent, meaning that her grandson is granted official permission to marry Meghan Markle.
Sharing photos of the signed consent on Instagram, Kensington Palace revealed that the document's design has been carefully created so as to celebrate both Markle's and Prince Harry's lives, as they join together as husband and wife.
The Instagram post reads: "The Queen has signed the Instrument of Consent, the hand-written document which records Her Majesty's consent to the Marriage of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle."
It reads: "NOW KNOW YE that We have consented and do by these Presents signify Our Consent to the contracting of Matrimony between Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, K.C.V.O., and Rachel Meghan Markle."
As well as being sealed with the Great Seal of the Realm, the Instrument of Consent is illustrated with a design specifically meant to honor Markle and Prince Harry. Importantly, the Instrument of Consent features a red dragon, which is the symbol of Wales, along with a rose, thistle, and a shamrock–Britain's floral emblems.
The design also features three tiny red escallops from the Spencer Family Arms, Princess Diana's family.
Markle's heritage is honored with a rose, which is the national flower of the United States, and golden poppies, representing the state flower of her birthplace, California. And, finally, olive branches are also visible, and they're adopted from the Great Seal of the United States.
Markle and Prince Harry are now one step closer to getting married on May 19.
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.
