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Bishop Michael Bruce Curry to give sermon at royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Excitement ahead of the royal wedding
Anticipation and excitement ahead of the royal wedding 03:58

LONDON -- The head of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, will speak at the wedding of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, says Kensington Palace. Curry, from New York, will give the address -- a sermon -- at the event in Windsor. 

Curry is the first African-American to have served as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, an offshoot of the Church of England in the United States. It is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. 

He will join the dean of Windsor, the Rt. Rev. David Conner, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who will officiate at the service. Welby baptized Markle ahead of her marriage to Harry, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury said in a tweet he is "thrilled" the couple asked Curry to preach at their wedding, calling him a "brilliant pastor, stunning preacher and someone with a great gift for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ."

The royal wedding will be held on May 19, and the fabled Household Cavalry, Prince Harry's fellow soldiers, will be part of the big day, CBS News' Charlie D'Agata reported this week. The regiment is an elite fighting force, serving on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan, where Harry served two tours. 

"To be part of that for anyone's wedding, anyone's special day, is an incredible moment or event," said Maj. Daniel Snoxell, a Household Cavalry soldier. "For it to be Mr. Wales, an officer I served with, that adds an extra factor."

Episcopal Leader
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop-elect Michael Curry gives waves to the crowd as he arrives at the Washington National Cathedral, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, in Washington.  Jose Luis Magana/AP

CBS News will bring extensive and live coverage of the royal wedding.

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