Prince Harry so impressed by Sheku Kanneh-Mason that Meghan Markle personally invited the 19-year-old to play at their wedding.
On Saturday, May 19, the Suits actress officially became royalty by marrying Prince Harry during a televised ceremony in London, England. The event was graced by the royal family and celebrities from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Mason serenaded the royal couple and their guests by performing three songs: "Sicilienne," "Après un rêve," and "Ave Maria."
Shortly after the ceremony watched by millions all over the world, the young instrumentalist spoke about how he received the invitation to perform at the royal wedding and what the experience was like as a part of the historical event.
Receiving A Call From Meghan Markle
Mason told People on Sunday, May 20, that he was at a scheduled performance with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra when he received a phone call from the American star. He said that the 36-year-old personally asked him to come to the royal wedding and perform.
"I said yes immediately," the musician said. "It's such an amazing event to have the opportunity to perform at. It was a surprise and such an honor."
Although young, Mason was not exactly unknown before his performance at the wedding of the decade. The cellist was named as the BBC Young Musician of the Year back in 2016. He also previously played for Prince Harry at an event last year.
Prior to that, he competed on Britain's Got Talent with his equally talented siblings.
Along with the incredible music of Mason, guests were treated to musical performances from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Philharmonia.
Asked if he was nervous, the young instrumentalist said that he rarely got stage-fright anymore.
"I was just very relaxed, and just soaking up the atmosphere," he explained. "To have the opportunity to perform for so many people, I was just really excited."
Among the A-list guest list, Mason said that he was excited to see Elton John and David Beckham in the audience.
Royal Wedding 2018
After the holy union held at the St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where Harry, now Duke of Sussex, was christened, Charles, the Prince of Wales, hosted the evening dinner for the newlyweds and some 200 guests at the Frogmore House, the royal home that was famously a favorite of Queen Victoria.
An after-party attended by some guests reportedly took place at the Chiltern Firehouse.
According to The Telegraph, the royal wedding of Meghan and Harry on Saturday became the most-watched event of the year so far with an average combined figure of 11 million viewers in the United Kingdom. In comparison, the FA Cup averaged 6.7 million and peaked at 8.7 million viewers this year.
In The United States, Deadlines reports that the televised broadcast of the British wedding drew 23.7 million household numbers from 14 networks and 6.9 million interactions across Facebook and Twitter.
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