Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in Windsor last Saturday / Getty
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in Windsor last Saturday / Getty
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in Windsor last Saturday / Getty
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in Windsor last Saturday / Getty

The Egyptian Coptic church was honoured at Meghan and Harry's wedding


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The wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry - now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - was a refreshingly diverse affair for Windsor Castle, and the inclusive nature of the ceremony included an Egyptian Archbishop - Anba Angaelos - acting as one of the religious officials who oversaw the ceremony at St George's Chapel.

The move honoured Coptic Christians as he represents the ancient church of Egypt: the Coptic Orthodox Church. Archbishop Angaelos became the first Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London last year, after serving as the church's General Bishop since 1999. The Coptic Orthodox Church has around 18 to 22 million members worldwide (with about 15 million of those based in Egypt).

He was born in Egypt, and moved to Australia as a young child - he then returned to Egypt in 1990 where he was later consecrated as a monk.

You can see his part of the wedding ceremony from the 45 minute mark here: 

He was conferred the honour of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2015 for his services to international religious freedom: he has often visited refugee camps in Greece, Lebanon and Jordan, and is outspoken about assisting those in need, no matter their religion.

Archbishop Angaelos during the wedding ceremony.
Archbishop Angaelos during the wedding ceremony.

He is a patron of Embrace the Middle East.

While he was seen at the royal wedding on May 19, he was in Cairo the day before, according to this tweet:

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Here's a scene from the church yesterday:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
While you're here
Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Getting there

The flights

Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.

The stay

Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net 

Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com