The couple announce plans for a carriage procession through the streets of Windsor after their May 19 ceremony.
Saying they want the British public to take part in their celebrations, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced a particularly grand way to open up their May 19 wedding to the world. Kensington Palace has announced that the couple will take part in a carriage procession immediately after their wedding ceremony, which will take place at noon at St. George's Chapel in Windsor.
There are also plans for a giant screen to be erected in Windsor Town so that the crowds can watch the ceremony, which is due to be televised. There is also talk of some members of the public being allowed onto the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The blueprint for the wedding is said to be Prince Edward's wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, when, in addition to a carriage procession, 8,000 members of the public were invited onto the castle grounds via a ballot system.
Now less than 100 days away, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding is likely to be even more popular, with scores of American tourists coming to the U.K. for the occasion. Windsor is bracing itself for a huge spike in tourism, with some hotels charging thousands of pounds a night for luxury suites. Many broadcasters who will be covering the event have been priced out of the town and have reserved rooms in the nearby town of Slough three miles away.
As family and friends eagerly await their invitations, many guests have already been informed by the couple that they have made the exclusive guest list. The Queen and Charles, the Prince of Wales, who are paying for the wedding and evening party, are overseeing a reception at St. George's Hall for the couple and guests from the congregation after the wedding. Prince Charles is hosting an evening reception for the couple and close family and friends later that night.
Kensington Palace has also confirmed that the Dean of Windsor, the Rt Revd. David Conner, will conduct the service, and the Most Revd. and Rt Hon. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, will officiate as the couple make their marriage vows.