Hello, I hope you're all enjoying a splendid weekend! We have a plethora of wedding updates to chat about (apologies for the delay in posting, I've been detained with a work commitment), but first we're taking a quick look at the latest sighting of Meghan. The bride-to-be was spotted at Heartcore fitness in Kensington accompanied by a Royal Protection Officer. You can view additional images at PopSugar.
Meghan was casual and sporty in the J Crew Excursion Quilted Down Vest. The $120 piece has been sold out for some time. Meghan teamed the vest with a pair of navy Adidas Supernova Climacool mesh-paneled stretch leggings. The $75 style are available in black at Net-A-Porter.
Meghan wore the Nike Classic Cortez Sneakers.
Meghan completed the look with her sold out grey Babaton hat and Ray-Ban Gold Aviator Sunglasses.
Royal Wedding Details
Yesterday morning, a group of royal reporters assembled at the Palace for the final press briefing before the Royal wedding. The exciting update offered terrific insight into a number of key questions we've been asking.
Communication Secretary Jason Knauf opened with the following statement:
'We are now just over two weeks away from the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle. As they have travelled around the UK in the months since their engagement last November, Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have been incredibly grateful for the support they have received from members of the public.
The crowds that have turned out in Nottingham, Cardiff, Brixton, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Belfast, Bath and elsewhere have given Ms. Markle a welcome to the United Kingdom marked by warmth, enthusiasm, and a real sense of fun.
We said from the outset that Prince Harry and Ms. Markle were keen to make sure that members of the public would have the opportunity to feel part of the celebrations on their wedding day. This is their way of expressing their gratitude for the messages of support they have received from around the UK, the Commonwealth, Ms. Markle's home country of the United States, and right around the world. In today's briefing I want to share more details of what people can expect to see in the day's leading up to the wedding, and on the day itself, and explain what the public can expect in Windsor.'
Meghan's Parents... The briefing began with news Harry and Meghan "are very much looking forward to welcoming Ms Markle's parents to Windsor for the wedding. Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland will be arriving in the UK in the week of the wedding, allowing time for Prince Harry's family, including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to spend time with them before the big day". I imagine a family dinner is in the planning. I was particularly excited to hear about Doria's role on the big day; Ms Ragland will travel by car with Meghan to Windsor Castle in a celebration of their incredibly close bond and a testament to the unwavering love and support Doria has shown Meghan. Meghan's father Thomas will then walk his daughter down the aisle of St George's Chapel.
Honouring Diana... There was never any doubt Harry would incorporate his mother in some way during the service. "In addition to having the support of the Queen, his father the Prince of Wales, and his brother Prince William as Best Man, Prince Harry is also keen to involve his mother's family in his wedding. All three siblings of Diana, Princess of Wales will be in attendance and Lady Jane Fellowes will give the reading. Prince Harry and Ms Markle both feel honoured that Lady Jane will be representing her family and helping to celebrate the memory of the late Princess on the wedding day."
The Day Before... Jason Knauf added: "I will now take you through the high-level outline of what you can expect to see from the evening of Friday 18th May. The key moment for the day before will be the arrival of the bride at her accommodation. We expect this to happen early evening." Of course, Harry and Meghan will spend the night before the wedding apart. It is thought Meghan, Doria and friends will travel to an undisclosed location on the Friday before. At this point, there is no official word on whether Harry (perhaps joined by William) will greet members of the public the night before.
Meghan Isn't Having a Maid of Honour or Adult Bridesmaids... Whilst the bridal party announcement hasn't been made yet, it is known Meghan has decided not to have a maid of honour. The Mirror reports: "However she will be having children bridesmaids, and it's likely Prince Harry's niece Princess Charlotte will be among them. A Kensington Palace spokesman said she simply couldn't decide which of her friends to pick, adding 'she has a very close knit group of friends and did not want to choose one over the other'." There was a lot of speculation about who would take up the role on Meghan's big day and lots of names have been thrown around in the last few months. As noted above, we will certainly see Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the bridal party. Their little brother Louis will not be in attendance; Knauf confirmed the Duchess of Cambridge will be there.
Will Prince Philip Attend the Wedding?
People reports:
'It’s been exactly one month since Prince Philip underwent hip replacement surgery at a London hospital on April 4, and he’s currently recovering from his operation at Windsor Castle.
With just two weeks to go until his grandson Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle on May 19, the palace has yet to confirm that Philip will be in attendance.
They “very much hope” he will be there, a palace spokesperson said during a briefing on Friday, adding that there will be guidance closer to the wedding date.'
Wedding Timings...
'The first thing these people gathered will see on the morning of the wedding will be the arrival of guests between 0930hrs and 1100hrs. Guests will be arriving at the Round Tower by coach and will be seen walking to the South Door of St George's Chapel.
Members of The Royal Family will begin to arrive from 1120hrs, and enter St George's Chapel via the Galilee Porch. Some will be on foot, and others will arrive by car.
Prince Harry and Prince William will arrive at St George's Chapel most likely by foot and will enter via the West Steps. This will allow Their Royal Highnesses to acknowledge all of the people gathered in the Castle precincts, including the 200 charity representatives gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister at the bottom of the steps.
Also around the time Royal Family arrivals begin, a pooled media facility will cover Ms. Markle and Ms. Ragland's departure from the bride's overnight location. We expect the journey into the Castle to take them along part of the Long Walk, allowing members of the public gathered there to see the car as it passes. There will also be a brief stop at the Castle where Ms. Ragland will head onto the Chapel and Ms. Markle will be joined by some of the Bridesmaids and Page Boys before she continues her journey to the church, where she will enter via the West Steps.
The Service will take around an hour, and we look forward to announcing more details of this in the weeks ahead. After the Service has concluded, the newly married couple will process out of the church and acknowledge the 200 representatives of Prince Harry's charities gathered in the Cloister. The couple are delighted that these people who will be such an important part of their official work in the years to come will be the first people they see after their wedding.
As the couple step into their Carriage, close family members will gather on the West Steps to wave them off on their Procession. As a reminder, we expect the Carriage Procession to take just under 25 minutes. Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are very much looking forward to this part of the day. It will be their chance to express their gratitude for the goodwill and warm wishes they have received from all quarters in the months since their engagement.
Members of the congregation will file out of the church onto the grass to see the start of the Procession before walking to the reception at St George's Hall. All guests will be attending the reception. The public elements of the event will be over at this stage. The final thing you can expect to see is the Bride and Groom departing Windsor Castle for the evening reception at Frogmore House.'
The Daily Mail shared this helpful graphic.
A Delayed Honeymoon & "an Incredibly Busy Year"... The couple have elected to delay their honeymoon until later in the summer as they are said to be very eager to focus on work (they will spend their wedding night at Windsor Castle). In fact, we can expect to see them carrying out their first official engagement as a married couple just days after the wedding. The Telegraph added: "The day of engagements is likely to set the tone for their work as a married couple, and will be focused on charities and causes close to their hearts." In June the couple are set to visit the Republic of Ireland for a two-day mini tour and there's an array of possible 'family annual events' such as garden parties and Royal Ascot.
I know Meghan has been visiting a number of charities around the UK privately in recent months and I imagine she very much wants to publicly lend her support to potential chosen patronages as quickly as possible and indeed forge her own role as patron of the Royal Foundation. An enormous period of transition is ahead for the monarchy and it's of vital importance for members of the family to be seen out working and supporting worthy causes and days of national importance. It's a topic we'll discuss at length after the wedding. As for what we can expect from the couple for the remainder of 2018? Reporter Omid Scobie was told it's going to be "incredibly busy".
After the Wedding... The week after the wedding we can expect to see the official wedding portraits, taken by Alexi Lubormirski, released after the couple have approved them. The Palace will facilitate interviews with those involved including Lubormirski, the dress designer, hairstylist and others.
Announcements Still to Come: The Communication Secretary noted: "As we said back in November, this wedding will be guided by tradition, allowing everyone to celebrate what makes Royal Weddings so special, but also one which reflects the personalities of Prince Harry and Ms Markle." We have been announcing details over the last couple of months and in the final week ahead of the wedding you can expect to hear more about the arrangements, including:
- The Instrument of Consent
- Details of the bridesmaids and page boys
- The work of florist Philippa Craddock and the Crown Estate gardeners who have been growing and preparing the flowers that will fill the church
- An update from Claire Ptak, the baker who will make the wedding cake, and the chefs who have been working in the Palace kitchens to make the final preparations
- We will publish the full Order of Service on the website on Saturday morning so members of the public can follow the service at home
Windsor Brides... To coincide with the announcement, the Royal family shared a graphic showing a selection of the sixteen Royal weddings which have taken place at Windsor since 1863. It's quite something to see Harry and Meghan writing a new chapter in the history of the Royal residence.
You can view an accompanying video here.
With the help of the @RCT, here's a look back at the other Royal couples who have chosen to wed at Windsor: https://t.co/8vkN7JSJ4C pic.twitter.com/khgQxnm7i3— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 4, 2018
A Ralph & Russo Gown... Rumours have been swirling for months as to who has landed the coveted bridal commission of the year. To clarify, nothing has been confirmed, however royal reporter Rebecca English wrote: "Multiple royal and fashion industry sources have revealed the actress has opted for British couturiers Ralph & Russo to make the first of two gowns she plans to wear on May 19. She will wear the hand-stitched, heavily beaded design to walk down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in front of 600 guests – and an estimated billion TV viewers worldwide – as well as for the reception being held afterwards by the Queen in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle." To add fuel to the fire, Prince Harry was photographed outside the brand's Chelsea offices last month. Click here to view the images.
During the brief, Sky's Rhiannon Mills couldn't resist asking Jason Knauf if we'll see the couple kiss. Slightly amused, he responded: "I have no comments on kissing today." :)