Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will invite 2,640 lucky members of the public into the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the arrival of the bride and groom on their wedding day.
Those allowed into the castle’s grounds will include 1,200 people ‘who have served their communities’, to be picked by the Queen’s representatives around the UK.
The guests will also include 200 people from charities and organisations supported to Harry and Meghan, it was announced today.
Around 100 pupils from two local schools, 610 Windsor Castle community members and 530 members of the Royal Household will also be present.
Harry and Meghan, pictured at a charity event earlier this week. New details about the couple’s wedding were announced today
The royal couple announced their engagement in November last year. They will marry in May
The royal couple will marry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19, with millions of people expected to watch around the world.
They will then embark on a carriage procession around the Berkshire town, cheered by residents and visitors, before a reception at St George’s Hall.
In a statement today, Kensington Palace said: ‘Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too.
‘This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom.
‘In addition to the Carriage Procession in Windsor, they have today shared some further details of how the public will be involved on May 19th.
‘Prince Harry and Ms Markle have invited 2,640 people into the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the arrivals of the Bride and Groom, and their wedding guests, at the chapel and to watch the carriage procession as it departs from the castle.’
The couple have made a series of public appearances since their engagement was announced. Pictured: Before ecstatic crowds in Brixton, south London (left) in January and (right) at the Endeavour Fund Awards last month
The royal ‘fab four’ – Harry, Meghan, Kate and William – appeared together in public for the first time at the Royal Foundation Forum earlier this week
Meghan has been keen to help Harry with this public duties since their engagement. She appeared with him in Edinburgh last month (left) and in Nottingham in December (right)
Palace aides have previously said that the prince and Ms Markle’s wedding will ‘reflect their characters and personalities’ and be a moment of ‘fun and joy’.
The Queen will attend, as will the rest of the royal family, along with Ms Markle’s parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte are likely to take on the roles of pageboy and bridesmaid.
The royal family are paying for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception. But the security costs for the high-profile event are being covered by the state.
Harry proposed to Suits star Ms Markle during a cosy night in over a roast chicken dinner after a 16-month whirlwind romance.
The couple will have a carriage procession around Windsor like that at the wedding of Prince Edward and his bride Sophie, now Countess of Wessex, in 1999 (pictured)
The couple will marry in the grand surroundings of St George’s Chapel in Windsor on May 19
In his engagement interview he told of how ‘the stars were aligned’ when he fell for his future wife, whom he met on a blind date.
The palace said further details about the wedding day will be revealed in the weeks and months ahead.
Last month, the couple revealed further details of their wedding and said they are ‘hugely grateful for the many good wishes they have received since announcing their engagement’
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will marry the couple and the Rt Rev David Conner, Dean of Windsor, will conduct the service at the Castle’s 15th century chapel.
On the evening of the wedding, the Prince of Wales will give a private evening reception for the couple and their close friends and family.
The couple thanked the public for the happy response to their engagement announcement
The couple’s main reception will be held in Windsor’s St George’s Hall, following by a private evening event hosted by Prince Charles
The wedding takes place on the same date as the the 2018 FA Cup Final and, as president of the Football Association, Harry’s older brother the Duke of Cambridge usually attends the FA Cup Final and presents the trophy.
Windsor Castle is less than 30 miles from Wembley Stadium and about an hour’s drive – meaning that William would be away from the celebrations for a minimum of two hours if he was to dash off to present the silverware.
Last month, the second-in-line to the throne joked about whether or not he would be best man, quipping: ‘He hasn’t asked me yet – it could be a sensitive issue.’
He also said he is ‘still working’ on the date clash between the wedding and the football.