A COUNCILLOR in Madrid who looks startlingly similar to the new Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, joked on Twitter that she was 'not getting married' but that she would be 'marrying'.
Begoña Villacís, leader of the city's centre-right party Ciudadanos, which is in opposition, delivered the vows for a wedding in a neighbourhood between those of Carabanchel and Latina.
Where a couple opts not to marry in church – when a priest would deliver the vows – in Spain, they take place either in the town or city hall or the court building, presided by a councillor, mayor or other local authority official.
“No, actually; I'm not getting married this Saturday. This Saturday I'm marrying instead! And no, it's not Windsor, it's Aluche. Congratulations to the happy couple, Jorge and Félix – we love you!” Begoña wrote on her Twitter page with a photo of the newlyweds taken from the back and herself from the front.
Begoña had the job of wedding Félix and Jorge at the same time as the eyes of the world – and over 5,000 reporters from every continent, including several from Spain's most prominent national media channels – were on Prince Harry and his US-born actress girlfriend Meghan, both aged 34, as they tied the knot at Windsor Castle.
Meghan, who has only recently given up her acting career, wore a dress designed by the British artistic director of Givenchy, Clare Waight Kelle, with an extremely flattering but atypical – for a Royal wedding – scooped neckline.
Her bouquet included a bunch of forget-me-nots, Lady Diana's favourite flower, picked by Harry from the castle gardens.
The only relative on Meghan's side to attend was her mother Doria Ragland, who was pictured crying as Prince Charles gave her only daughter away.
Meghan's father, who lives in México, opted not to attend so as not to blight his daughter's day, in light of a recent exposé by the Daily Mail claiming he negotiated six-figure sums for unauthorised paparazzi shots he allegedly took as part of his job as a cinema photographic director, although the official line was that his absence was due to health reasons as he had recently suffered a heart attack.
Prince Harry's new wife is said to have been very saddened by her father's difficult decision not to go to her wedding.
Politicians and royalty – except those in the family – were not invited, but many celebrity friends attended including some of Meghan's closest: tennis ace Serena Williams, presenter Oprah Winfrey, actors Idris Elba and George Clooney and the latter's wife Amal, mutual friends Victoria and David Beckham and fellow Spice Girls Geri Horner (née Halliwell) and Emma Bunton, and Prince Harry's old Army colleague and friend, singer James Blunt, who flew over from his home in Ibiza where he has lived for several years.
Manchester Arena terrorist attack survivor Amelia Thompson and her mother Lisa, who were injured when Jihadis opened fire and detonated suicide bomb vests during Ariana Grande's concert last year, were also present at the British 'wedding of the year'.
Prince Harry even invited two of his high-profile ex-girlfriends – Cressida Bonas and South African Chelsy Davy – who both attended, smiling and radiant in bright colours, showing they were still on amicable terms with their royal former boyfriend.
