Romance unfolds at fairy tale castle
All eyes are on Windsor in lead-up to royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Windsor is almost ready for its close-up. Excitement is building in this small city at the base of mighty Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will soon tie the royal knot at St. George’s Chapel, inside the castle walls.
Set for May 19, the “wedding of the year” is creating a worldwide buzz with much attention focused on Windsor and the still to be revealed wedding details.
While many details are still a closely guarded secret, we do know that after the televised ceremony, which starts at noon (7 a.m. EDT), the newlyweds will take a spin around town to greet well wishers.
Prince Harry and Meghan will travel through the centre of Windsor in a royal carriage, then turn back to Windsor Great Park for a short drive up the Long Walk before re-entering the castle for private celebrations.
It’s a foregone conclusion that hundreds of thousands of people will line the processional route. And the town plans to set up giant video screens so those who aren’t near the front will be able to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds as they pass by.
“Windsor is the Queen’s home,” and well used to managing big crowds and royal events, says Amanda Bryett of Windsor Tour Guides during a tour of the city and castle.
Buckingham Palace is “the office,” the Blue Badge guide continues, while Windsor is where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spend their “free weekends and family holidays.” Windsor Castle is also where the young royals stay when visiting their grandparents.
Some official occasions take place there, too, and world leaders are frequent guests. Most recently heads of the 53 Commonwealth nations met there.
About one million spectators
turned out for the 2011 London wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. And while this wedding is not a state affair, Prince Harry and Meghan are also very popular and attract large crowds wherever they appear.
So residents and shop owners
are preparing to be overrun with paparazzi and royal watchers in the days leading up to the event.
Shops are chock-a-block with royal wedding gewgaws — mugs, tins, aprons, tea towels — even cardboard Harry and Meghan masks.
Some local businesses have creat-
ed original products to commemoratetheevent.
The Queen Charlotte pub — a great place for lunch that stocks more than 100 different gins — has teamed up with Oak Taverns Ltd. on the limited edition Gin&’er. The first bottle will be auctioned with proceeds going to a charity of Harry’s choice, GM John Parry said.
And a local brewery has created Harry & Meghan’s Windsor Knot Pale Ale. The craft beer combines British and American hops, and barley grown on the Royal Farms next to Windsor Castle.
The castle, which is open to the public most days of the year, will be closed to all but invited guests
May 18-19. Area hotels have been booked up for months and train tickets to Windsor are sold out. Police are warning drivers that many roads leading to the city about an hour from London will be at a standstill that weekend, and there could be closures.
So if you want to visit Windsor and you didn’t get a royal invitation or have friends or family living there, perhaps a post-wedding visit would be wise. Then you could tour the castle grounds, watch the changing of the guard, take a peek inside St. George’s Chapel or attend evensong, and tour the sumptuous Royal Apartments.
Finish your visit with a stroll through Windsor Great Park — where Prince Andrew and Elton John have homes — and a trip across the bridge to Eton, where Prince William and Prince Harry attended school. Who knows, you might even see a member of the royal family.