The big day is finally here. The much-awaited royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is all set to take place on May 19, 2018, Saturday at midday. The venue of the royal wedding is St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where the couple’s families along with the royal guests will get to witness Harry and Markle’s marriage. The wedding ceremony will begin at 12:00 PM GMT+1 (4:30 PM IST) and it will be followed by a carriage procession and two receptions as per the royal wedding 2018 schedule. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had announced their engagement on November 27, 2017. Watching the nuptials of the two is on every person’s mind including Harry-Meghan fans in India on Saturday but how? Here’s full schedule on when to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding in India. You can watch the royal wedding on Twitter Here.
1. What is Date, Time and Venue of the Royal Wedding?
On Saturday, May 19, 2018, the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will take place at the St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The time of the nuptials is midday, 12:00 PM GMT + 1, which means in India, it will be 4:30 PM in IST. So, the keen followers of the wedding back in India will have to tune in to the respective television channels at this time to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married. It will be followed by a carriage procession, a lunchtime reception and an evening party at Frogmore House. Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Royal Wedding Cake is Unique Seasonal Flavour Combination: Read Recipe, Preparation Pics & Video.
As per the official statement released by Kensington Palace, here are the details of programme with timings in IST.
At 9.00 am GMT (2.30 pm IST): Some 2,640 people including charity workers, community leaders and military veterans begin to enter the grounds of Windsor Castle where they will be able to see the royals before and after the ceremony. The onlookers will include 200 people from charities and organisations associated with the couple, 100 pupils from local schools and 530 royal staff.
At 9.30 am GMT (3.00 pm IST): The first of around 600 wedding guests begin to fill St. George's Chapel. They arrive by coach at the castle's Round Tower and walk to the chapel's South Door.
At 11.00 am GMT (4.30 pm IST): The last non-royal guests take their places in the chapel.
At 11.20 am GMT (4.50 pm IST): Members of the royal family begin to arrive on foot and by car. They enter the chapel via the Galilee Porch on the south side. Prince Harry and his best man, his brother Prince William, arrive at the chapel's West Steps, most likely on foot. They will acknowledge the people gathered in the castle precincts. Bride-to-be Meghan Markle and her mother Doria Ragland leave their overnight accommodation and travel to the castle by car. She is joined by bridesmaids and page boys before entering via the West Steps.
At 12.00 pm GMT (5.30 pm IST): The wedding service begins. Prince Charles will walk his future daughter-in-law down the aisle after she walks the halfway alone in the company of her bridesmaids and pageboys. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, will conduct the service. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will officiate as the couple make their wedding vows. All three siblings of Harry's late mother Diana, princess of Wales, will be in attendance. Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes will give the reading.
At 1:00 pm GMT (6.30 pm IST): The newlyweds come out from the West Steps and acknowledge the charity representatives. Close family members wave them off from the steps as they go on a 25-minute carriage procession through Windsor. The route takes them down the High Street and along the Long Walk tree-lined avenue back up to Windsor Castle. The will travel in the horse-drawn Ascot Landau carriage, accompanied by a travelling escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. The carriage will be pulled by four Windsor Grey horses. If the weather is bad, the couple will travel in the 1830 Scottish State Coach, which has large glass windows and transparent panels in the roof.
At 1:30 pm GMT (7.00 pm IST): Reception given by Queen Elizabeth II is held at Windsor Castle's St. George's Hall for the couple and the 600 wedding guests. Afterwards, the couple and the royal family will pose for the official pictures taken by portrait photographer Alexi Lubomirski.
In Evening at 7.00 pm GMT (12.30 am IST): Harry's father Prince Charles hosts a private reception for 200 close friends and family at Frogmore House.
2. Who is walking Meghan Markle down the aisle?
Every girl’s dream is to have her father walk her down the aisle. However, Meghan Markle will not be joined by her father, Thomas Markle. The bride-to-be had quite a stressful week in the run-up to her royal wedding. Her father was firstly embroiled in fake paparazzi controversy and finally withdrew from attending his daughter’s wedding due to illness. As per reports, the 73-year-old retired Hollywood lighting director informed his absence is due to the heart surgery that took place on Wednesday.
Meghan Markle will instead be accompanied by her future father-in-law, Prince Charles who will be walking teh gorgeous American actress down the line. However, as per reports, the wedding ceremony will omit the traditional moment of "giving away", where the presiding Archbishop asks: "Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?" It is sad for Meghan to walk the halfway mark along before being joined by Prince of Wales but let’s look at the positives and not bummers.
Kensington Palace announced: "Ms. Meghan Markle has asked His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to accompany her down the aisle of the Quire of St George's Chapel on her Wedding Day. The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way."
3. Who are Bridesmaids and Page Boys at the Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?
The future royal Meghan Markle has decided to not have any bridesmaid but opted to have children be her bridesmaids and page boys. Ten kids will be doing the services chose by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for their wedding on Saturday 19th May. They are:
Bridesmaids: Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (Aged 3)
Miss Florence van Cutsem (Aged 3 – goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Alice van Cutsem and Major Nicholas van Cutsem)
Miss Remi Litt (Aged 6 – goddaughter of Ms. Markle, daughter of Mrs. Benita Litt and Mr. Darren Litt)
Miss Rylan Litt (Aged 7 – goddaughter of Ms. Markle, daughter of Mrs. Benita Litt and Mr. Darren Litt)
Miss Ivy Mulroney (Aged 4 – daughter of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney and Mr. Benedict Mulroney)
Miss Zalie Warren (Aged 2 – goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Zoe Warren and Mr. Jake Warren)
Page Boys: His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge (Aged 4)
Master Jasper Dyer (Aged 6 – godson of Prince Harry, son of Mrs. Amanda Dyer and Mr. Mark Dyer M.V.O.)
Master Brian Mulroney (Aged 7 – son of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney and Mr. Benedict Mulroney)
Master John Mulroney (Aged 7 – son of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney and Mr. Benedict Mulroney)
Meghan Markle's wedding outfit is yet to be revealed, so control your excitement to see the beautiful bride, Meghan Markle on her wedding day as she married her charming Prince Harry.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 18, 2018 11:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).