Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in May 2018, the palace announced on Tuesday.
It’s clear Harry’s brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, were taken into consideration when picking out an appropriate wedding date. The couple are due to welcome their third little prince or princess in April, and the May nuptials fall comfortably after that time.
The exciting details were announced during a special briefing at Buckingham Palace.
“Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry, and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there during the last year,” the couple’s spokesman said. “They are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives as a married couple.”
The venue is a relatively low-key choice (by royal standards, of course!), which stands in stark contrast to the pomp and pageantry of royal weddings past — particularly that of William and Kate, who married in the grandeur of Westminster Abbey.
Nonetheless, it’s still a popular choice.
Harry’s father, the Prince of Wales, wed the Duchess of Cornwall at St. George’s in a “service of blessing” in April 2005. It was also chosen for the nuptials of Harry’s cousin, Peter Phillips, and Autumn Kelly in 2008, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 1999.
Charles and Camilla wed at St. George’s in a “service of blessing” in April 2005.
St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle is pictured here during the annual Order of the Garter Ceremony.
The spokesman added that the duo “want the day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations” and will work through ideas for how this might be achieved. With this in mind, it’s likely that their nuptials will be televised.
“This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom,” he added.
The royal family will pick up the bill for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception.
Meghan, a protestant, will be baptized and confirmed in the Church of England ahead of the wedding and is already going through the process of becoming a British citizen.
It was also revealed that the newly-engaged couple will make their first official joint engagement together this Friday in Nottingham. They will visit the Full Effect project, an initiative supported by The Royal Foundation to improve opportunities for young people and reduce youth violence.
“Ms. Markle cannot wait to meet many of the young people Prince Harry has already told her so much about,” the spokesman said.
“I knew she was the one from the very first day,” Harry confessed during the couple’s first photocall.
The newly-engaged duo have been together for just over a year.
Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, became engaged over a roast chicken dinner at their home, Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
“It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us. Roasting a chicken… trying to roast a chicken,” Harry said of the private moment during an interview with BBC News broadcaster Mishal Husain.
“She didn’t even let me finish, she said ‘can I say yes, can I say yes?’ and then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like can I — can I give you the ring? She goes — oh yes the ring.”
“It was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch her by surprise as well.”
“It was so sweet and natural and very romantic,” Meghan added.
Be still, our beating hearts!
Obsessed with the royals? Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and all things royal!
