Junior Rasmussen
Royal weddings in England are a great spectacle that many people love to share in. The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, was no exception. The official ceremony began at 12 p.m. BST, but live coverage started earlier to capture the arrival of guests and the royal family. With millions of fans worldwide, the royal wedding aired at varying times across different time zones, allowing people globally to tune in and celebrate the special occasion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 May 2018 |
| Location | St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Time | 12 p.m. BST |
| Couple | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle |
| Officiants | Dean of Windsor and Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Guests | 600 |
| Procession | 1 p.m. carriage procession through Windsor town |
| Reception | Lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen at St. George's Hall |
| Live Stream | Royal Family's Facebook Page, Royal Family's YouTube channel |
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What You'll Learn
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date and time
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 commenced at 12:00 midday BST.
Prince Harry is a member of the British royal family, and Meghan Markle is American. She previously worked as an actress, blogger, charity ambassador, and advocate. On the morning of the wedding, Prince Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, bestowed upon him the titles of Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron Kilkeel. Markle became a princess of the United Kingdom and gained the style Her Royal Highness and titles Duchess of Sussex, Countess of Dumbarton, and Baroness Kilkeel.
The royal wedding was a historical event, drawing in roughly 1.9 billion viewers worldwide. The traditional ceremony included influences from African-American culture. The couple's wedding cake was a lemon sponge confection, and the dressmakers spent hundreds of hours sewing the fabric and washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the veil immaculate.
The wedding ceremony was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England, the mother Church of the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated at the wedding using the standard Anglican church service.
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The wedding's TV coverage
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, was one of the most highly anticipated and widely viewed royal weddings in history. The ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with 600 guests in attendance. The royal family's YouTube channel streamed the event live, and it was also broadcast by major television networks around the world.
In the United States, several networks provided extensive coverage of the royal wedding, catering to the millions of Americans who were expected to tune in. NBC's "Today" show presented special coverage titled "Today at the Royal Wedding" from 1:30 to 8 a.m. Pacific Time. ABC News and "Good Morning America" offered Windsor-set coverage from 2 to 7 a.m. Pacific Time. CBS, the big four networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox), and cable news channels like CNN and HLN also provided live coverage of the event.
For viewers on the East Coast of the United States, the wedding began at 7 a.m. ET, with some networks starting their coverage as early as 4:30 a.m. ET. The ceremony was simulcast on BBC America, providing American viewers with the same perspective as British audiences.
In the United Kingdom, the BBC was the definitive broadcaster of the royal wedding, with its coverage simulcast on PBS, E!, and BBC America. Sky News also provided live coverage of the event, utilising Amazon's face-matching technology, "Rekognition," to help viewers identify guests and their connections to the royal couple.
The royal wedding attracted a global audience, with 80 international networks and 46 U.S. broadcasters in attendance. The event was a significant media spectacle, with 5,000 members of the media covering the wedding and capturing every detail for viewers worldwide.
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The bride's dress
The brides' dress is one of the most highly anticipated aspects of a royal wedding. The dress of the bride at a royal wedding has to be approved by the Queen and deemed appropriate for the event. While there is no set budget for the wedding or the dress, the royal family foots the bill, so it cannot be too expensive.
For her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan Markle's dress was likely to be understated and different from Kate Middleton's dress, which cost around $400,000. Markle didn't want to "upstage" Middleton with her dress.
Princess Victoria Mary of Teck's wedding trousseau, a collection of outfits for the bride, included 40 outdoor suits, 15 ball dresses, and a variety of bonnets, shoes, tweeds, poplin, lace, silk dresses, and hats.
Princess Alexandra was gifted a beautiful dress of Brussels lace by King Leopold of Belgium. However, wearing a non-British dress was deemed inappropriate, so she wore a dress of English silk made in London, boosting British manufacturers.
Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress was described by The Times as "the simplest ever made for a royal wedding." The dress was made of chiffon moire, with a deep square neckline and a bodice cut straight to the waist. The fabric was dyed to match her veil, which was lent by Queen Mary.
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The wedding's location
The wedding location is a significant aspect of any royal wedding, with each venue steeped in history and tradition. The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place at St. George's Chapel, located within the grand Windsor Castle in the English county of Berkshire. This intimate chapel holds a special significance for the British royals, as it was also the site of Prince Harry's christening and the wedding of his father, Prince Charles, to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. With a capacity to accommodate 800 people, it is smaller than venues like Westminster and St. Paul's but still offers a beautiful and elegant setting for the royal nuptials.
Windsor Castle, the world's largest and oldest inhabited castle, took 50 years to build and has been home to the British Royal Family for over a century. The castle grounds were opened to 2,460 guests, including spectators, schoolchildren, charity workers, locals, and those employed by the royal family, allowing them to witness this historic event from outside the chapel.
While St. George's Chapel was the chosen venue for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, other iconic locations have hosted royal weddings throughout history. One notable location is Westminster Abbey, considered the most famous British Royal Wedding location. Sixteen royal couples have exchanged vows at this exquisite Gothic abbey, including the Queen and Prince Philip, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and most recently, Prince William and Kate. Westminster Abbey boasts a capacity of 2,000 and is renowned for its stunning stained-glass windows and Waterford crystal chandeliers.
Another iconic venue is St. Paul's Cathedral in London, which was the setting for the elaborate wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981. As the UK's second-largest church, it offered a spectacle fitting for a prince, with 3,500 seats available. Prior to this wedding, no nuptials had been held at St. Paul's Cathedral for 480 years, making it a unique choice for the royal couple.
Lastly, St. James's Palace, the most senior royal palace in the UK, has also played host to royal weddings. This intimate venue, with a capacity of just 40 people, was the site of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's marriage. While St. James's Palace has not hosted a royal wedding since 1935, it remains a significant location in London's history and is worth including in any exploration of iconic royal wedding venues.
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The guests
The royal family's website and social media pages provided live coverage of the event, allowing people from all over the world to tune in and watch the festivities. The wedding was a highly anticipated event, with live coverage on most channels starting a few hours before the official start time to capture the arrival of the guests. The wedding was also broadcast on television networks such as CBS, NBC, and ABC, with some channels offering pre-show coverage.
The guest list for the royal wedding was kept largely private, but it is known that a mix of royalty, celebrities, and close friends of the couple were in attendance. Among the famous faces spotted were Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams, and David and Victoria Beckham. It was also reported that around 1,200 members of the public were invited to the grounds of Windsor Castle to be part of the celebrations and to see the newlyweds as they embarked on their carriage procession through the town.
The royal wedding was a grand affair, with the bride's dress , designed by Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller, featuring a boat-neck style and long sleeves. The Queen had to approve the design, and it was reported that Markle wanted her dress to be different and more understated than previous royal wedding dresses. The wedding was also a chance for British manufacturers to showcase their talents, with Markle's veil made of lace from Devon and trimmed with flowers made from the same lace.
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Frequently asked questions
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at 12 p.m. BST. The ceremony was held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The wedding was broadcast live on TV channels and online platforms, including the Royal Family's Facebook and YouTube pages.
Wedding guests started arriving at 9:30 a.m. local time, followed by members of the royal family at 11:20 a.m. Princes Harry and William were expected at 11:30 a.m., with the Queen arriving last.
