Prince Charles Gave an Incredibly Moving Speech at the First Royal Wedding Reception

When the lovebirds of the moment, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, tied the knot Saturday, May 19, Prince Charles exhibited an unseen vulnerability with the sincere words he used to congratulate his son and new daughter-in-law during his speech.

Dubbed “the people’s wedding,” the proceedings maintained a sense of intimacy among close family and friends in attendance. If the millions of royals enthusiasts were left in a puddle of emotions, with a mere glimpse into the fairytale, we can only imagine how moving the nuptials must have been for all those close to the couple.

“Charles gave a brilliant speech,” a guest told People. “Harry was very emotional.”

The Prince of Wales reportedly shared his touching sentiments with the newlyweds at their lunchtime gathering, hosted by Queen Elizabeth at St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle.

“It was very sweet actually, very heartfelt,” the guest said. He even commented on “how proud” he was of the man his son had “grown into,” according to the insider. “He ended it [with], ‘My darling old Harry, I’m so happy for you.'”

According to the source, Charles was also “very pleased” and “happy” to walk his now daughter-in-law down the aisle, following the sad news that her father, Thomas Markle Sr., would not be able to attend. Though his absence may have been bittersweet, warm toasts continued to flourish throughout the reception. Harry, too, delivered a speech at the sparkling event. He began by thanking all those who had turned out to celebrate the important day, but was quickly silenced with cheers and hollering when he said “my wife and I.”

“It was very off-the-cuff, which was lovely,” a separate guest told People. “He promised that all the Americans wouldn’t steal the swords and said, ‘Please, when you leave, be quiet as you don’t want to wake the neighbors,’ which was quite fun.”

“It was more than you would ever imagine it to be,” the guest added. “It did feel like we were really part of their very special occasion. It just felt about the two of them, which was great.”

This post was written by Candice Mehta-Culjakl. It originally appeared on our sister site, Now to Love.