Franklin Dean
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The ceremony was scheduled to commence at 12:00 midday BST, with members of the public allowed on the grounds from 8:00 am. The 600 invited guests began arriving at the chapel at 9:30 am, followed by members of the Royal Family at 11:25 am. The bride and groom-to-be arrived at 11:40 am and 11:45 am respectively, with the Queen arriving last at 11:52 am. The ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and was expected to take about an hour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 May 2018 |
| Day | Saturday |
| Time | 12:00 pm BST |
| Location | St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, United Kingdom |
| Bride | Meghan Markle |
| Groom | Prince Harry |
| Bride's Title | Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton, Baroness Kilkeel |
| Groom's Title | Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, Baron Kilkeel |
| Bride's Nationality | American |
| Groom's Nationality | British |
| Bride's Profession | Actress, Blogger, Charity Ambassador, Advocate |
| Groom's Profession | Prince |
| Guest List | 600 people |
| Cost | £32 million |
| Cake | Flavoured with organic Amalfi lemons and elderflower |
| Photographer | Alexi Lubomirski |
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What You'll Learn
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding schedule
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The schedule for the day was as follows:
9:00 a.m.
Charity workers, local school children, employees of the Queen, and other special attendees arrived inside the grounds of Windsor Castle, ready to cheer Harry and Meghan on from outside the chapel.
9:30 a.m.
The 600 wedding guests started to arrive and take their seats for the ceremony. TV coverage of the event began.
12:00 p.m.
The wedding service began, lasting about an hour. The ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and conducted by the Dean of Windsor, bishop David Conner. Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, Michael Bruce Curry, gave the address.
1:00 p.m.
The service concluded, and Harry and Meghan exited the church, greeting representatives of Harry's charities and their close family members before entering their Ascot Landau carriage for a procession through Windsor.
1:30 p.m.
The newlyweds returned to the castle for a lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen at St. George's Hall, joined by all 600 of the bride and groom's guests.
Afternoon
The couple departed Windsor Castle following the luncheon for a private sit-down dinner for 200 hosted by Prince Charles.
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The wedding's overall cost
The royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in May 2018 is estimated to have cost $44 million, including security costs. The wedding ceremony and reception alone are estimated to have cost $2.7 million (£2 million) or £2,099,873, according to wedding planning website Bridebook.co.uk. The remaining $40.1 million (£30 million) is said to have been spent on security, including snipers on rooftops and a counter-UAV system, which was largely paid for by taxpayers.
The royal family announced that it would pay for the "core aspects of the wedding", including the church service, music, flowers, decorations, and the reception. The bride's family usually pays for the ceremony, but as with the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles and the Queen paid for most of the wedding. Markle's family, who are of modest means, were not expected to contribute.
The wedding is said to have included 600 guests at the lunchtime reception and 200 at a private evening reception, as well as 2,640 members of the public who were invited to the grounds of Windsor Castle and provided with tea and a hot snack, adding to the overall cost. The food and beverage for the event are expected to have amounted to a quarter of the total budget.
The wedding cake, a lemon and elderflower buttercream-frosted sponge, is said to have cost at least £4,000. Meghan Markle's wedding dress, a couture gown by Givenchy, is estimated to have cost between $135,000 and $270,000, or between £300,000 and £400,000. Flowers for the wedding, which was held at Windsor Castle, could have cost as much as £100,000.
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The bride's dress and title
Meghan Markle's wedding dress designer was kept a closely guarded secret before the big day. However, it was speculated that her dress could have been designed by Ralph & Russo, Erdem, or Stella McCartney. Markle's wedding dress was long-sleeved and pure white, with a boat neckline and open butterfly sleeves. The dress had a slim-fit, floor-length design, and a veil that draped over her shoulders. The dress was simple and elegant, with a modern twist. Markle wore a tiara, which was loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II, and her hair was styled in a sleek up-do. Her makeup was natural and radiant, with a subtle smokey eye.
Upon her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle became a princess of the United Kingdom and gained the style Her Royal Highness. She also acquired the titles of Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton, and Baroness Kilkeel. Markle's new title as a princess is due to her marriage to Prince Harry, who is a prince of the United Kingdom and the son of King Charles III. Markle's title as Duchess of Sussex is particularly notable, as it had not been used by a member of the royal family since 1843.
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The wedding's location and date
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The date broke with royal tradition, as royal weddings usually take place during the week. The ceremony began at 12:00 midday BST.
The day's schedule was as follows:
- 8:00 am: The public started to arrive at the grounds of Windsor Castle.
- 9:00 am: The 1,200 members of the public invited to stand inside the grounds of Windsor Castle began to arrive and take their places.
- 9:30 am: The main congregation and the 600 invited guests started to arrive at the chapel.
- 11:20 am: Members of the British royal family, including the queen, her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, their son Prince Charles, and his siblings, began to arrive.
- 11:25 am: The royal family began to arrive, either by car or on foot, and entered the chapel through the Galilee Porch.
- 11:30 am: Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland, left Cliveden House Hotel and travelled by car to St George's Chapel.
- 11:40 am: Prince Harry and his best man, Prince William, arrived and took their places.
- 11:45 am: Meghan and Doria arrived at the chapel and were joined by the flower girls and page boys.
- 11:52 am: The queen, following protocol as the last member of the royal family to arrive, entered the chapel.
- 12:00 pm: The wedding ceremony began.
- 1:00 pm: The ceremony concluded, and the newlyweds exited the chapel and greeted guests from the prince's charities in the cloister. They then entered the Ascot Landau carriage for a 25-minute procession through Windsor Town.
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The wedding cake
Royal wedding cakes throughout history have been large, weighing anything from 300lbs to over 500lbs, and often serving over 2,000 people. Slices are packaged up and sent to charities and organisations close to the couple, as well as being served to guests in attendance.
For the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, chef Fiona Cairns created 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers to decorate their cake, taking her team five weeks to prepare. Every Royal Wedding cake features intricate designs intended to reflect the personalities of the couple and the significance of their union. This tradition dates back to Queen Victoria's wedding day in 1840, where the three-tiered wedding cake weighed 300 pounds and had decorations including busts of the couple on the top tier.
For the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, East London pastry chef Claire Ptak, who was born in the U.S., created a cake flavoured with organic Amalfi lemons and elderflower.
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Frequently asked questions
The 600 guests invited to attend the ceremony inside St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle arrived between 9:30 and 11 am GMT (4:30-6 am EST).
Members of the Royal Family began arriving at 11:20 am GMT (6:20 am EST) or 11:25 am GMT (6:25 am EST).
The ceremony commenced at 12:00 midday BST (7 am ET/noon).
The ceremony concluded at 1 pm GMT (8 am EST).
The final public celebration of the day was the couple's departure from Windsor Castle for the evening event at Frogmore House.
