Harry and Meghan will be married at midday by the Archbishop of Canterbury on May 19 - followed by a carriage procession and a reception at St George's Hall (and Charles is hosting the evening do)
- Kensington Palace has released further details of Harry and Meghan's big day
- Ceremony conducted by The Dean of Windsor will begin at midday
- Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will officiate as they exchange vows
- Couple will undertake a carriage procession through Windsor town
- Reception for congregation at St George's Hall will be followed by evening party
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will parade through Windsor in a carriage after making their wedding vows in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury, it can be revealed today.
The couple, who will marry on May 19, will make a two-mile journey through the town cheered on by crowds from around the world.
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The route will see them pass along six streets before ending up back at Windsor Castle, according to details released today by Kensington Palace.
The marriage service, in the castle's 15th century St George's Chapel, will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, the Right Rev David Conner.
The couple will then make their wedding vows in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Harry, 33, will be the first senior royal in modern times to be granted a Church of England wedding despite marrying a divorced woman.
Although Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall received a blessing at St George's Chapel in 2005, the couple had a civil service at Windsor Guildhall instead of a religious ceremony.
The service will last an hour, beginning at 12pm and finishing by 1pm, Kensington Palace confirmed.
Members of the public will then be able to get a glimpse of the newlyweds as they undertake a carriage procession from Windsor Castle and back.
It will see them travel down Castle Hill, along the High Street and then along Sheet Street, Kings Road and Albert Road, before returning to the castle along the Long Walk.
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On their return, Harry and his bride will join guests from the ceremony at a reception at St. George's Hall and in the evening, Prince Charles will host a party for the couple and their close friends and family as he did for William and Kate following their 2011 nuptials.
Harry and his American actress fiancee, 36, are likely to have drawn inspiration from Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, who married at St George's Chapel in 1999.
Their procession in a landau lasted around 15 minutes, with the town's streets packed with 30,000 well-wishers. A spokesman for Kensington Palace said Harry and Meghan's 'short journey' would 'provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day'.
Royal sources told the Daily Mail that there will be, in effect, four parts to the day, with festivities ending with a reception complete with a whisky bar.
After the ceremony there will be a reception at St George's Hall for the couple and congregation, understood to be a lunch for close family, friends and perhaps some charity representatives – believed to be 240 to 300 in all – where speeches will be made.
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A short gap between afternoon and evening festivities is expected to follow.
The evening is being broken into two parts: An 'informal' dinner for around 350, where more speeches will be heard, followed by what is likely to be a boozy reception with a whisky bar for 550-600 in the evening, a royal source has said.
The dinner will be for the couple's wider circle of friends – including, potentially, many of Meghan's fellow cast members from US legal drama Suits – as well as those who could not attend the official ceremony earlier during the day.
Another source confirmed that Kensington Palace has raised the issue of former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, who are counted as personal friends of the prince, being invited. But their presence has not yet been confirmed.
Behind the scenes conversations have continued with diplomats about whether this could be seen as a snub to President Donald Trump, who will not be invited.
It is understood that only Miss Markle's closest family will attend – meaning that her half brother and sister, Thomas and Samantha Markle, who have repeatedly criticised her, are unlikely to be among the guests.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: 'Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle are hugely grateful for the many good wishes they have received since announcing their engagement.
'They are very much looking forward to the day and to being able to share their celebrations with the public.'
THE CELEBRANT
It's no surprise that the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry the couple after he gave his seal of approval for divorcee Meghan to marry in church.
I am so happy that Prince Harry and Ms Markle have chosen to make their vows before God,' he said in a statement in November.
'I wish them many years of love, happiness and fulfilment and ask that God blesses them throughout their married life together.'
A month later, appearing on Radio 4's Today programe he said their 'profound sense of commitment' and love was a 'model' for the rest of the nation.
The Archbishop of Canterbury added their marriage would be 'fun' and expressed delight that the couple had opted to show their 'faith' by tying the knot in church.
'I am very, very sure after conversations that this is no tick-box exercise, 'we ought to get married in a church',' he said.
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CARRIAGE PROCESSION
The carriage procession is designed to provide 'an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor', and is something of a royal tradition.
William and Kate made their journey by carriage procession to Buckingham Palace following their marriage at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, and did Princess Diana on her big day at St Paul's Cathedral.
However, the procession is still a feature of more low key Windsor weddings.
Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex and Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, who married at St George's Chapel, undertook processions so that they were able to greet royal fans following their wedding ceremonies.
For sentimental reasons, Harry may wish to use the State Landau, the carriage which was built for the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.
Both his mother and William and Kate used this carriage on their wedding days, as well as Prince Andrew Sarah Ferguson.
It's most often seen during state visits ferrying the Queen and the visiting head of state to Buckingham or Windsor Castle.
Alternatively, the couple may decide to travel in the less imposing Ascot Landau, a smaller and lighter carriage with basket-work sides, which was the choice of Peter Phillips and Prince Edward and their brides for their Windsor weddings.
THE RECEPTION VENUE
St George's Hall at Windsor Castle is often used for glittering state banquets.
Previous guests have included former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Irish President Michael D Higgins.
The spectacular hall, which measures 180ft long, can seat 160 people at dinner.
Laying the 175ft table - which dates back to 1846 - can take staff two days, with a 4,000-piece 'grand service' traditionally used.
A total of 1,200 glasses and 2,000 pieces of silver-gilt cutlery are laid out for state banquets.
The walls and ceilings of St George's Hall are covered with the crests of knights of the garter, with blank crests representing members of the order who have disgraced themselves.
The hall, which was remodelled in the 1820s by Jeffry Wyatville, had to be restored after it was damaged by a fire at the castle in 1992.
St George's Hall is next to St George's Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding ceremony will take place.
Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, held their wedding reception at St George's Hall in 1999.
In 2005, the Queen hosted a reception for Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at the State Apartments at Windsor Castle, rather than St George's Hall.
In 2008, Peter Phillips and Autumn Phillips held their wedding reception at the nearby Frogmore House, after tying the knot at St George's Chapel.
EVENING PARTY
Proud father Prince Charles will host an evening party of his son and his new wife and their 'close family and friends'.
He did the same for Prince William and Kate in 2011, inviting 300 guests to Buckingham Palace for a party.
After their their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey attended by 1,900 guests, 650 guests were invited back to Buckingham Palace for a lunch hosted by the Queen.
The venue hasn't yet been announced, but it's rumoured the couple will hold the party at Frogmore House in the grounds of Windsor Great Park, and 600 people will be invited to cater for the couple's wide circle of friends.
It also provides an opportunity to cater for guests it might be problematic invite to the day's celebrations.
Last week it was reported that Harry is determine for his aunt Sarah Ferguson to attend the big day, despite stiff opposition from Prince Charles and The Duke of Edinburgh.
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Inviting her to the evening party could be a solution to the thorny issue.
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