*By Jacqui Corba, Max Godnick, and Alisha Haridasani*
The highly-anticipated Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle breaks from Buckingham Palace traditions, bringing with it the promise of sweeping changes in the British monarchy. But the union of Harry, sixth in line for the throne, and Markle, an American actress, owes a debt of gratitude to royal couples from the recent past.
"Meghan is an independent woman. She's shown that over and over again with everything that she is doing," said Jeremy Parsons, People TV's PeopleNow host. "She is breaking many molds in terms of what has been expected with the Royals."
Markle is a mixed-raced divorcée known for her role as Rachel Zane on the TV show “Suits.” Not the traditional pedigree for a royal bride, but not totally unprecedented.
Harry's older brother, Prince William, married Kate Middleton seven years ago. William, second in line for the throne, met his "commoner" bride while studying at St. Andrews University.
The photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones married Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, in May 1960. When they were wed, he was the first person without a royal title to marry a king's daughter in four centuries.
Markle is also following a precedent set by the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles, who married Prince Charles in 2005. She, too, was divorced, and had two grown children from her previous marriage.
Before Bowles, the monarchy was opposed to rulers and heirs to the throne marrying a divorced person: King Edward VIII had to abdicate in order to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, a twice-divorced American.
With Harry and Markel's wedding, comes another refreshing change, as Markle has tried to use her royal platform to shine a light on social issues, much as Harry's mother, Princess Diana, did.
"Meghan will make this her own in some way," said Parsons. Markle has invited representatives of charity groups important to her and her husband-to-be to include more of the community in their ceremony, he said.
Questions about who will walk the bride down the aisle have fueled media speculation after Markle confirmed her father would not attend the wedding. On Friday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the soon-to-be royal will begin her procession alone, before Prince Charles, her future father-in-law, joins her when she reaches the main seating area.
"It's symbolic. The family is really embracing her, and this is a great show of that," said Parsons. "The royal family is no stranger to scandal, and they are embracing her in spite of any of that. This is Harry and Meghan's day."
Some media outlets [praised](https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/18/europe/royal-wedding-update-intl/index.html) Markle's decision to walk on her own as a progressive moment for feminism.
"It's a strong-woman moment for her," said Charli Penn, the senior digital lifestyle and relationships editor at Essence.
Markle’s ethnicity, too, will push the Windsor family to become more [relatable](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/12/world/europe/meghan-markle-prince-harry-royal-wedding-race.html) for the three percent of the British population that is black, at a time of rising intolerance in the country.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/royal-wedding-watch-inside-the-modern-monarchy).
2021 was a wild ride for the world of cryptos. Both Bitcoin and Etherum hit new all-time highs, as well as other coins like SHIB-INU. According to several experts, crypto is here to stay and is expected to blast off in the year 2022 as more and more people invest in the crypto world. The host of "The O Show" Wendy O, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
According to recent new polls, Americans are becoming more and more skeptical about tech companies. A number of respondents revealed their distrust of companies like Apple, Instagram, Facebook, and even Tik Tok. They say that they believe it is time for government agencies to step in to take action in order to protect users' personal information and data. Technology Reporter at AXIOS Ashley Gold, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Over the past year, the new love for gaming has created a huge demand for the consumption of content on streaming platforms. All this has caused a rise in gaming influencers all over the world. Founder of Viral Nation Joe Gagliese and Digital Video Executive Andrew Wall, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The U.S. population has dipped to its slowest rate since the nation's founding. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population grew just point 0.11% from 2020 to 2021 due in part to decreased international migration, decreased fertility, and increased mortality from the pandemic. Paul Overberg, reporter at the Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar to discuss what's behind the record slow growth in population and why it has negative implications for the economy and the nation.
Carlo and Baker kick off the weirdest week of the year with all the news you missed over the holiday weekend, including calls for the CDC to shorten its isolation window as Omicron sweeps through the country.
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be without some of hockey's biggest players. The NHL and the NHL Player's Association have agreed to not participate in the men's hockey tournament at the Games in Beijing next year. The league has been forced to postpone some games because of a rise in COVID-19 cases among players. Washington Post sports reporter Samantha Pell joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what this could mean for the Winter Olympics and the sport of hockey.
Baron Davis and Kate Hudson want you to bring cannabis home for the holidays. The cannabis-infused seltzer brand Cann released a new spot featuring the actress and former NBA player. The campaign comes hand in hand with Cann's launch of a new holiday bundle, which includes its product with Hudson's King Street Vodka. Davis and Hudson are also Cann investors. Cheddar cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke to Davis about his involvement with the company and its new campaign.
Healthcare workforce management platform ShiftMed
recently announced a $45 million funding round.
The company's platform connects nurses and healthcare professionals to hospitals and other healthcare providers.
ShiftMed's new funding comes amid widespread labor shortages in the healthcare sector. The company's CEO Todd Walrath joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Universities like UCLA, Yale, and Duke have announced they're implementing remote learning amid the COVID omicron variant surge, despite President Biden recommending that K-12 schools should continue in-person education. Jared C. Bass, senior director for Higher Education at American Progress, joined Cheddar to break down what institutions of higher education might be considering differently. "I think some universities are allowing periods of a bit of a respite to allow students to get testing and make sure when they do return back to campus that they're healthy," he noted.
