Former Baltimore Bishop To Preach At Royal Wedding

BALTIMORE, MD — A former West Baltimore parish leader, now a bishop, will preach at the royal wedding on Saturday. Bishop Michael Curry will speak at the highly anticipated union of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle in London.

Curry preached for 12 years ending in 2000 at the St. James Episcopal Church in West Baltimore, according to CBS. The congregation's new priest, the Rev. Melvin E. Truiett Sr., said of Curry, “He was very personable. If he didn’t have a collar on, you would never have known that he was a priest, because he’s just down to earth, easy to talk to."

Curry is the National Episcopal Church's first African-American Presiding Bishop. Markle and Prince Harry asked him to give the sermon at Windsor Castle, according to Cincinnati.com.

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“The love that has brought and will bind Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle together has its source and origin in God, and is the key to life and happiness,” Curry said, according to the Episcopal Church.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who will oversee the marriage vows, said “I'm thrilled that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have asked Bishop Michael Curry to preach at their wedding.” According to Newsweek, he said Curry is a “brilliant pastor, stunning preacher and someone with a great gift for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.”

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If you want to put on your best fascinator and brew yourself a pot of English breakfast tea to watch the couple exchange vows you'll need to get up pretty early this Saturday, May 19. The wedding will start midday UK time at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Live royal wedding coverage will begin around 3:30-4 a.m. Chicago time where the royal family and various other celebrities will proceed to the chapel for the wedding, which starts at 6 a.m.

Just because Markle's marrying a prince doesn't mean she will become a princess. Only women born into the royal family (e.g. Princess Anne, Princess Charlotte) are given the title. Most likely, Queen Elizabeth will gift Markle with a title of Duchess, if Harry is granted a dukedom, as was his older brother, when Prince William and Kate Middleton became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The British bookies had their bets that Harry will be named the Duke of Sussex, which means Markle will become the Duchess of Sussex. Markle may also be referred to by the awkward royal title in reference to her husband, HRH Princess Henry of Wales. (Henry is Harry's given first name.)

How to watch the royal wedding (or when to set your DVR):

Most major TV networks plan to begin their live coverage at 4:30-5 a.m. Eastern Time. The royal wedding ceremony itself is at noon London time, or 7 a.m. ET. Live coverage will be available on CBS, streamed on CBSN, The Today Show (NBC), PBS and BBC America, according to Harper's Bazaar.

BBC America will also be streaming coverage and commentary of the royal wedding on May 19. Sign in with your subscription or cable account information on BBC America Livestream.

Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson contributed to this story.

Photo of Bishop Michael Curry by Art Babych via Shutterstock

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce the engagement of Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017 in London, England. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been a couple officially since November 2016 and are due to marry in Spring 2018. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)