If the sheer magnitude of the occasion, the unpredictability of the page boys and the vague possibility an uninvited Markle might have smashed through a stained-glass window weren’t enough to keep the congregation sharp in St George’s Chapel, one moment was sure to wake royal wedding guests up: The sermon.

After opening remarks by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, and before the marriage vows, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the assembled guests – plus many millions watching on television around the world – heard a sermon delivered by American preacher Michael Bruce Curry, the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church.

It was quite a gear change. Curry, 65, became the first African-American to lead the Episcopal Church in 2015, and is renowned for his highly entertaining preaching style. His rambling addresses from the pulpit are by turns gloriously melodramatic, sharply political and filled with self-deprecating humour. Welby and Conner may wish to up their game; Curry promises to steal the show.