Harry And Meghan's Wedding: The Time Revealed

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

The wedding date and time

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018. The ceremony began at 12 pm BST (7 am ET) and was followed by a carriage procession through Windsor at 1 pm BST (8 am ET). The wedding date was unusual as royal weddings typically take place on weekdays.

The wedding ceremony was held at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, with the bride and groom exchanging vows in front of 600 guests. The ceremony was televised and live-streamed worldwide.

The day began with Prince Harry and his best man, Prince William, arriving at the ceremony on foot and greeting royal fans on the castle grounds. Meghan travelled to the castle in a car with her mother, Doria Ragland, by her side. She then walked the first part of the aisle alone, before being joined by Prince Charles, who accompanied her for the remainder of the walk.

The ceremony included a rousing sermon by The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, and the couple exchanged rings made by Cleave and Company. Meghan's ring was crafted from Welsh gold, while Harry's was a platinum band.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds shared their first kiss as a married couple on the steps of St George's Chapel, before taking a carriage ride through Windsor.

The engagement and wedding rings

The Engagement Ring

Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle in 2017 with a custom three-stone ring featuring a cushion-cut centre diamond from Botswana, flanked by two round diamonds from his late mother Princess Diana's personal jewellery collection. Harry designed the ring himself, with the help of the late Queen's regular jeweller, Cleave & Company. The gold band was chosen because it was Meghan's favourite.

The ring underwent a redesign in 2019, when Harry enlisted celebrity jeweller Lorraine Schwartz to reset the ring on a thin, yellow gold band set with micro-pavé diamonds. This was due to Meghan's pregnancy-induced fluctuations in ring size.

The Wedding Rings

On their wedding day, Harry presented Meghan with a ring – a pure Welsh gold wedding band, also crafted by Cleave & Company. This was a gift from the Queen, continuing a royal tradition that began with the Queen Mother Elizabeth in 1923. Welsh gold is the rarest type of gold and is no longer mined, making it the most expensive.

Harry's wedding band was made of platinum, breaking with royal tradition.

The wedding venue

The chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle, which has belonged to the monarchy for almost 1,000 years.

St George's Chapel has been the site of many royal services, weddings, and burials. In the 19th century, it superseded Westminster Abbey as the chosen burial place for the British royal family. The chapel is also the final resting place of several monarchs, including King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, Henry VIII, and King Edward VII.

The construction of the chapel began in 1475 by Edward IV and was completed by Henry VIII in 1528. The architecture is considered one of the finest examples of Perpendicular Gothic style in the country.

The interior of the chapel has been developed over the years to commemorate key figures in royal history and the history of the chapel itself. For example, the octagonal Bray Chapel is named after Sir Reginald Bray, a friend of Henry VIII and benefactor of the chapel.

The chapel has been the scene of numerous royal weddings, particularly during the reign of Queen Victoria. More recently, it was the venue for the weddings of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2019, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in 2018.

The guest list

Relatives of the Groom:

Relatives of the Bride:

The bride's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in attendance.

Members of Reigning and Non-Reigning Royal Families:

The wedding had a royal guest list, including Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho, members of non-reigning royal families, and descendants of the groom's great-grandfather, King George VI.

Friends of the Couple:

The couple's friends were also well-represented at the wedding, with a mix of celebrities and notable guests. These included Patrick J. Adams, David Beckham, James Blunt, Priyanka Chopra, George Clooney, James Corden, Idris Elba, Nacho Figueras, Will Greenwood, Tom Hardy, James Haskell, Elton John, Gabriel Macht, Carey Mulligan, Marcus Mumford, Jessica and Ben Mulroney, Misha Nonoo, Sarah Rafferty, Abigail Spencer, Joss Stone, Gina Torres, Jonny Wilkinson, and Serena Williams.

Flower Girls and Page Boys:

The wedding party included several flower girls and page boys, such as Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Rylan Litt, Remi Litt, Ivy Mulroney, Florence van Cutsem, Zalie Warren, Prince George of Cambridge, Brian Mulroney, John Mulroney, and Jasper Dyer.

Charities and Members of the Public:

In addition to the guests mentioned above, the couple also invited members of charities they were associated with and members of the public, including inspiring citizens, young people, and local school children.

The wedding ceremony

The wedding service was officiated by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who also baptised and confirmed Markle into the Church of England. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, also conducted the service, with the Archbishop of Canterbury performing the marriage ceremony. 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 prayers.

The bride, Meghan Markle, walked down the aisle with her bridesmaids and page boys, and later Prince Charles, to meet her groom, Prince Harry, at the altar. Prince Harry's maternal aunt, Baroness Fellowes, read a scripture lesson from The Song of Solomon in the Christian Bible. The marriage vows were those published in Common Worship and included the promise "to love and to cherish" each other. The couple exchanged wedding rings made by Cleave and Company. Markle's ring was made of Welsh gold, and Prince Harry's was a platinum band. After the signing of the registers, the couple sang the national anthem with the guests. They briefly paused to bow and curtsey to the Queen before walking down the aisle, followed by other members of the bridal party and their families. The couple shared a kiss on the steps outside the chapel.

Frequently asked questions