A generation has grown up watching the monarchy sail serenely on.Despite her 92 years the Queen shows no sign of flagging, Prince Charles seems content to wait in the wings while the young royals led by William and Kate are more popular than ever
The birth of Prince Louis is the icing on the cake. Yet it's not so long ago that the institution was in crisis
Three of Her Majesty's children had been through divorces, the fallout from the death of Princess Diana was bitter and it appeared the nation would never take Camilla Parker Bowles to its heart
There were allegations that the Royal Family was out of touch, rooted in the past and loathe to modernise
At one stage there were even whispers that the monarchy might not survive.However there has been a minor revolution behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace over the past few decades and nothing demonstrates this more than the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
He might only be sixth in line to the throne but Harry's choice of bride is another important sign of the monarchy's desire to shed its stuffy image
Not only is Miss Markle a commoner but she's an American, a divorcee and of mixed race
In fact she could hardly be further removed from the blue bloods who have traditionally become royal brides
In years gone by she would, no doubt, have been deemed "unsuitable" just as her compatriot Koo Stark was when she won the heart of Prince Andrew in the 1980s
So it is to the Royal Family's credit that Meghan has been warmly welcomed into the fold: she already has a Christmas at Sandringham under her belt
Royal commentator and broadcaster Jennie Bond says: "This confident, eloquent and elegant young woman is a powerful symbol of how the monarchy is moving with the times
"Edward VIII had to choose between his love for a divorced woman, Wallis Simpson, and the throne
"Prince Andrew was pressured into giving up an American actress, Koo Stark."But Meghan Markle, who is divorced, American, an actress and of mixed heritage, has been welcomed into the Royal Family with open arms
"She will reflect Britain's multicultural society as well as the empowerment of women
"And that makes the monarchy more relevant, more contemporary and more connected to society - exactly as Harry's mother Diana once advocated
"Race is always a delicate subject but if the Royal Family is to remain relevant it has to mirror society: in Britain about one in 10 couples is now in mixed ethnicity relationships
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding day in pictures Tue, May 22, 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle - see ALL of the photos
Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 100 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry marry in Windsor In the past Meghan, whose mother is black and father white, has expressed pride in her heritage
Then there's the matter of her acting background, spanning from 2002, which divides opinion
While Kate Middleton has gone from strength to strength since joining "The Firm", one criticism had been her lack of previous real-world experience
When she married William her "career" amounted to only a short time working as an assistant accessories buyer for the clothing chain Jigsaw
In contrast Meghan battled hard to get her break in the notoriously tough acting world before landing the plum role of Rachel Zane in the US legal drama Suits
Earlier there was a stint as a scantily-clad hostess on Deal Or No Deal but through her charity work Meghan has shown that she has brains as well as beauty
She is also reported to have built a personal fortune of more than £3.5million.It's clear that this will be a marriage of equals and Meghan, who voiced her opposition to Donald Trump in 2016, is not crossing the Atlantic merely to play the dutiful wife
Jennie Bond, who was the BBC's royal correspondent for 14 years, believes we can all relate to Meghan and that's a key reason why she's so good for the monarchy
She adds: "Meghan is older than most royal brides and is already a success in her own right, with self-made wealth, an established career and a solid track record in supporting charities and causes about which she feels strongly
"She has certainly won the love of her Prince but it seems clear that she has also won the respect of the family she is now joining and the nation as a whole
"Meghan gives the impression that she is very comfortable in her own skin."Crucially Harry has been allowed to make his own match without all the restrictions that his father faced, which now seem so ridiculous
In Charles' day there was a tiny pool of potential wives, drawn from the British aristocracy and the other royal houses of Europe
We all know how badly that ended, as he was effectively pushed into marrying the very suitable Diana Spencer who was barely 20 years old but hopelessly ill-prepared for the role
Contrast the naïve and painfully shy Diana with Meghan who is 36 years old, much more confident and thanks to her acting background at ease in front of the cameras
Harry is clearly marrying Meghan for love, not out of a sense of duty and that's another reason to celebrate
The last thing the Royal Family needs after a period of stability this century is another divorce so, although Harry is far down the list of succession, he still carries a burden to marry well
Fortunately there's a widespread feeling that he and Meghan, who have a shared passion for humanitarian causes, are well-suited
The couple have made it clear that they want donations for their chosen charities in lieu of wedding gifts
Of course Meghan has one failed marriage behind her but that's no longer a taboo and for that Harry owes a debt of gratitude to his father who fought the establishment so he could marry Camilla Parker Bowles
"Everything changed when the Prince of Wales married Camilla, a divorcee," says Penny Junor, author of Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son
"In the recent past society had very different views about whom members of the Royal Family should marry but times have changed
Barriers have been lowered."Going back further it was a divorce that also prevented Harry's great aunt Princess Margaret from marrying her long-time boyfriend Captain Peter Townsend in the early 1950s
At the Palace there has also been an acceptance that in the 21st century everyone has a few skeletons in their cupboard
It was all rather tame but Meghan did once strip for the cameras in a love scene for Suits
However in modern-day Britain few people will hold that against her. Her own extended family is dysfunctional but she will also gain sympathy for that
Meghan, who is tipped to be given the title Duchess of Sussex, has already set about winning hearts
ETraditionally members of the Royal Family could be stand-offish and it was protocol not to touch them
In the past the merest brush of a hand on the Queen's back by a foreign dignitary has been greeted with gasps of horror but Meghan has already turned that notion on its head
She's delighted children and other well-wishers with warm embraces and won't change her nature just because she's marrying into the Windsor family
"I'm American, I hug," says Meghan simply.It's not a calculated move but just another positive trait that she happens to bring to the table
Many who have met her have commented on how normal and down-to-earth she is and the more people feel she is "just like one of us" the stronger the monarchy becomes
Surveys show that young people especially adore Meghan.Royal weddings always create a feel-good effect, showing the monarchy at its best and demonstrating Britain's flair for pomp and ceremony
It has been calculated that the nuptials of Harry and Meghan will be worth up to £500million to the economy, also creating a mini-tourism boom, while her nationality can only help cement the special relationship between the UK and the United States
But it seems it's the monarchy itself that is the biggest winner as it seeks to prove that it deserves to be regarded as a modern organisation that is fit to rule the land
On the day of the latest royal wedding the Meghan factor is already breathing fresh life into an ancient institution
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