Harry And Meghan's Wedding Date

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, UK. The wedding ceremony was followed by a carriage procession through Windsor and two receptions, one hosted by the Queen at St George's Hall and another private reception hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House. The wedding broke with royal tradition by taking place on a Saturday, with previous royal weddings traditionally held on weekdays. The date was also chosen to be after the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton's, due date for her third child in April 2018.

The wedding date and venue

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, England. The ceremony commenced at 12 pm GMT (7 am ET) and was followed by a carriage procession through Windsor at 1 pm (8 am ET).

The choice of date was speculated to be influenced by the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton's, due date for her third child, which was in April 2018. It was also noted that May 19 had not been the date of any previous weddings of "historical importance".

The wedding venue, St George's Chapel, holds a significant connection to Prince Harry as he was baptised there in 1984. The chapel has also been the site of other royal weddings, including those of Prince Edward and Countess Sophie in 1999, and Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla's prayer and dedication service in 2005.

The royal family announced that they would pay for the wedding, with the costs estimated to be around £32 million. The security costs were predicted to be lower than those of the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and included a gospel choir and a 19-year-old cellist, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, as part of the musical performances. The couple exchanged wedding vows and rings, with Prince Harry wearing a platinum band with a textured finish, breaking tradition as one of the few male members of the royal family to wear a wedding ring.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds took part in a carriage procession through the town of Windsor, returning to Windsor Castle. The reception was held at St George's Hall, with a second private reception hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House, which reportedly included several live acts, such as the Spice Girls.

The ceremony

Prince Harry's maternal aunt, Baroness Fellowes, read a scripture lesson from The Song of Solomon in the Christian Bible. The sermon was delivered by Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church (the American member church of the Anglican Communion). Curry's 14-minute address, which quoted Martin Luther King Jr., emphasised the redemptive property of love. Chaplain to the Queen Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London Anba Angaelos offered the prayers.

The marriage vows were those published in Common Worship and included the promise "to love and to cherish" each other. This was sealed by the exchange of rings. After the signing of the registers, Harry and Markle sang the national anthem with the guests. The couple paused briefly to bow and curtsey to the Queen before walking down the aisle. They were followed in procession by other members of the bridal party and their families. The couple shared a kiss on the steps outside the chapel.

Hymns sung at the wedding included "Lord of All Hopefulness" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer". Music during the service included the motet "If Ye Love Me" by Thomas Tallis; the song "Stand by Me" by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Ben E. King, arranged for choir by Mark Delisser; and "The Lord bless you and keep you" by John Rutter. During the signing of the register, 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the orchestra played Sicilienne attributed to Maria Theresia von Paradis, Fauré's Après un rêve, and an arrangement for cello and orchestra of Schubert's "Ave Maria".

Following the ceremony, Harry and Meghan made their way through Windsor in a carriage before joining their guests at the reception at St George's Hall.

The carriage procession

The couple chose the Ascot Landau carriage for the procession, which is usually stationed in London and often used by the Queen to meet foreign heads of state. The carriage is one of five Ascot Landaus in the Royal Mews and is typically used for official and ceremonial events.

The procession began at 1 pm GMT (8 am ET) and was followed by a reception at St George's Hall, hosted by the Queen. The couple wanted to include a public carriage ride so that people could come together and enjoy the atmosphere. The timing of the ceremony and procession also meant there was no clash with the FA Cup final, which Prince William, as president of the Football Association, usually attends.

The receptions

Two receptions were held following the ceremony. The first, hosted by the Queen, was held in St George's Hall for those attending the ceremony. Elton John performed for the guests, and the groom and the Prince of Wales each gave a speech. A second reception was held later in the day at Frogmore House for family and close friends. This reception was hosted by the Prince of Wales. Harry drove his new wife to the reception in a loaned silver-blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero.

For the evening reception, the Duchess of Sussex wore a halter-neck, open-back dress by Stella McCartney and an emerald-cut aquamarine ring that had belonged to Princess Diana. George Northwood styled her hair for the private party. In a break with tradition, the bride gave a speech at the event. The Duke of Cambridge also gave a best man's speech. DJ Idris Elba and The Atlantic Soul Orchestra performed at the event. Elba, who was invited by Harry, played "Still D.R.E." at Meghan's request. The setlist given to him by Meghan also included Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". The event ended with small fireworks displayed above Frogmore House.

The honeymoon

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on 19 May 2018. The couple delayed their honeymoon and made an appearance at Prince Charles' 70th birthday garden party on 22 May 2018, their first public appearance as a married couple. They then left the UK and flew off to their honeymoon destination, which has been kept a closely guarded secret.

Speculation about where they went abounds. It was rumoured that they might be heading to the same Canadian luxury resort that the Queen and Prince Philip have previously enjoyed, but the venue later denied they had a royal booking. Other rumoured destinations included Botswana, where they enjoyed their first couple’s holiday in 2016, as well as Namibia, the Caribbean island of Nevis, India, Ashford Castle in Ireland, and Birkhall, the Queen’s royal residence in Scotland.

Royal expert Omid Scobie seemed certain that the couple would go on a trip to Africa. He said, "Africa has played a huge role in Harry and Meghan’s relationship—it was the place they fell in love [Harry took Markle to Botswana after only two dates], the place they vacationed before the engagement [Harry and Markle went to Botswana again for Markle's 36th birthday last August] and even where Harry bought the centre diamond for Meghan’s ring." He added, "I’m certain we will see them [...] explore other countries in Africa [...] I hear that Meghan has been keen to go on a beach holiday with Harry, so I can definitely see them by the sea."

Indeed, a source told Travel + Leisure that the couple planned to honeymoon in Namibia, and an ABC News royal contributor said it was believed the couple were "spending some time in Africa, possibly Namibia, and potentially [taking] another trip after that as part of the honeymoon." However, when Harry and Meghan joined the Queen at the Young Leaders Awards at Buckingham Palace, Harry was asked directly if they had visited Namibia, and he responded, "No, we didn’t go to Namibia. I’m not going to say where."

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