Prince Harry, sixth in line to the British throne, married American actress Meghan Markle on Saturday, May 19, at Windsor Castle.

The two met on a blind date back in 2016, and it was life-changing for each. Markle recently retired from acting, the prince retired from the British Army — and together these two young people reportedly will focus on doing good works together. (The couple wanted no wedding gifts, by the way; instead, they asked for donations to a wide range of charities that reflect their “shared values.”)

Even though the festivities occurred an ocean away and happened to people few of us will ever meet, here are 10 reasons why scores of Americans woke up early to watch the extraordinary festivities.

The wedding ceremony was broadcast live on most major American networks, PBS, and the BBC early Saturday morning. And it’s OK — we can admit we cared enough to want to catch this.

Millions of us shook off the cynicism, were swept up by the ceremony, and “joined in” the celebration — and the gallery below explains exactly why.

(photo credit, homepage image: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, CC BY 2.0, by Mark Jones)