LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle will celebrate their wedding day with members of the public by taking a carriage ride through the English town of Windsor, the prince’s office at Kensington Palace said on Monday.
Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, fifth-in-line to the throne, and Markle, who was part of the US TV legal drama Suits, announced their engagement last year, with their marriage is to take place on May 19 in Saint George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Shortly after a midday wedding ceremony, the couple plan to make their first public appearance as husband and wife in a roughly two-mile carriage procession.
“They hope this short journey will provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day,” Kensington Palace said in a statement, setting out new details of the wedding day.
The route will finish with a ride up the long, broad 17th-century parkland avenue that leads to Windsor Castle, home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.
At 1pm the couple, now married, will undertake a Carriage Procession from St George’s Chapel through Windsor Town returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk. pic.twitter.com/Lw6RaqY0p5
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 12, 2018
They hope this short journey will provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day. pic.twitter.com/z8fukP2nea
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 12, 2018
Their exchange of wedding vows will be officiated by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion. The wedding service itself will be conducted by Dean of Windsor, David Conner.
The wedding is likely to attract huge attention around the world, as did the marriage of Harry’s elder brother William to Kate Middleton in 2011, which was watched by an estimated two billion people.
Kensington Palace said Harry and Markle would join guests at a reception inside Windsor Castle after the procession. Harry’s father, Prince Charles, would later host an evening reception for close friends and family.
The guest list for the wedding of the year is still under wraps and the situation is tense as people await the royal invite. Speculations about who’s in or who’s out has turned into a national parlour game and has become the subject of wagers in Britain’s legal betting shops.
Harry and Meghan’s wedding venue, St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle can host up to 800 guests only which is a sharp contrast to Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding which had 3500 guests in attendance as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, which packed in 1900 guests.
Guests will include members of the royal family which number over 50 along with Kate Middleton’s family. Foreign royals are also expected to be part of the nuptials as almost 45 foreign royals from 20 countries were invited from nations as diverse as Spain, Norway, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia to William’s wedding. Britain’s governing elite and celebrity A-listers like David Beckham and Elton John are also expected to be in attendance.
The juiciest debate has been over invites for rival US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Harry and Obama are known to be good buddies and have worked on some projects together including the Invictus Games. Some British officials, however, fear that an invite to Obama would anger Trump.
The Royals could note that Obama, the US president in 2011, was not invited to William’s wedding. And they have a bit more leeway because Harry’s wedding is not considered a state event. Markle, meanwhile, is a Hillary Clinton fan.
On the other hand, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a trifecta of ties to the bride and groom: he’s the head of a Commonwealth country, host of Harry’s latest Invictus Games and leader of the nation where Markle had been living. Hence, his invitation is a no-brainer.
British military members and charity workers are also expected to be part of the guest list as Harry served as a former Apache helicopter co-pilot in Afghanistan.
Interestingly, there is little interest in who Markle will invite. However, it is confirmed that she will not be inviting her ex-husband to the event.
Markle, who is a divorcee, met Harry in July 2016 after they were introduced through a mutual friend, with both knowing little about the other. After just two dates, the couple decided to go on holiday together to Botswana.