The Greatest show on Earth

ROYAL expert Phil Dampier, below, author of Royally Suited: Harry And Meghan In Their Own Words, gives his verdict

IT was the day when the Royals took back control and put on the greatest show on earth.

After the “Markle Debacle” – a week of embarrassing headlines involving Meghan’s dysfunctional family – the House of Windsor ruled again.

Whatever her future relationships with her relatives may be, no-one can doubt Meghan’s life now lies with the Windsors, not the Markles.

No-one does weddings, pomp and ceremony like us, and that’s why 5,000 media descended on Windsor to bring the day to a global audience of more than a billion.

For Prince Charles the day was a triumph and put him squarely back at the centre of Royal life. He and his second wife Camilla suffered a backlash last year as anniversaries to mark 20 years since Diana’s death raked up the tragic story of divorce and death once again. Harry had said he wanted his mother to be a presence at the wedding.

She was – but how ironic that Charles in the end also had an unexpected starring role, walking Meghan down the aisle and clearly enjoying every second of it.

It gave Charles a unique opportunity to show how much he adores Meghan and how he thinks she will be a star of the Royal Family.

I know from Palace sources how fond he and Camilla already are of her, and how much they trust her to do a good job supporting Harry.

The Queen looked like the “cat who had got the cream” as David Cameron said of her after the Scots voted to remain in the UK. And it was wonderful to see Prince Philip fit again after his hip operation.

For Meghan it must have been strange that her feisty yoga-teaching mum was the only member of her family present. And I do find it odd that Harry still hasn’t met his future father-in-law. There is clearly something that needs to be resolved. But all that was forgotten yesterday as Harry and Meghan became man and wife – and the Royal Family’s new superstars.