Couple may visit Belfast ahead of their big day
PRINCE Harry and bride-to-be Meghan Markle are to marry in May at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace announced yesterday.
The American actress (36), who will become a senior HRH on marrying into the royals, also intends to become a British citizen.
As the couple make preparations for their big day, Ms Markle, a Protestant who went to a Catholic high school, will be both baptised and confirmed, ready for the religious ceremony.
Her mother Doria Ragland is Protestant while her father Thomas Markle is Episcopalian.
The royal family will pay for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception, the palace said.
Harry’s communication secretary Jason Knauf said Windsor was a “very special place” for the 33-year-old prince and that he and Ms Markle had spent time there together during their 16-month romance.
He added the couple were delighted to be holding the wedding in the “beautiful grounds of Windsor”.
Mr Knauf said the pair, who were grateful for the warm wishes from the public, would be putting their own stamp on their wedding day.
He added: “They will be making sure it reflects who they are as a couple.”
Mr Knauf revealed that while one of Ms Markle’s beloved dogs Guy was legally allowed to stay with her in the UK, the other — Bogart — would not be joining her in England.
“Bogart is now living with friends,” Mr Knauf revealed.
The actress will not be continuing her work on gender with the UN or with other organisations, but will instead start her charity work as a full-time royal afresh.
The exact date of the wedding will be revealed a later stage.
Mr Knauf said Harry and Ms Markle “want the public to feel part of their day” — and are looking at ways to achieve that.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte have also been introduced to their soon-to-be new aunt.
Mr Knauf said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children had met Ms Markle on many occasions.
St George’s Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, with the Dean of Windsor responsible only to the sovereign. The palace said the Queen has granted permission for the wedding to take place at the chapel. In 2005, the monarch attended the religious blessing of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall — both divorcees — in St George’s but did not go to their civil ceremony beforehand in the Windsor Guildhall.
The palace confirmed the Queen will be a guest at Harry’s wedding.
Mr Knauf said: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are extremely grateful for the warm public response following yesterday’s announcement.
“In a happy moment in their lives, it means a great deal to them that so many people throughout the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world are celebrating with them.
“Prince Harry and Ms Markle are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives together as a married couple.
“The couple of course want the day to be a special, celebratory moment for their friends and family.
“They also want the day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too and are currently working through ideas for how this might be achieved. This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom.
“Prince Harry and Ms Markle are leading the planning process for all aspects of the wedding.
“We look forward to sharing these details with you in the months ahead as decisions are made.” PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle could visit Northern Ireland as part of a pre-wedding Royal tour.
The newly-engaged couple will travel to various parts of the UK to meet well-wishers before they tie the knot next year.
Former Suits actress Ms Markle, who will wed the Queen’s grandson at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in May, will join Harry in travelling around different towns and cities ahead of her nuptials, Kensington Palace said.
While a spokesman would not confirm a Northern Ireland visit, he said: “She wants to spend this time learning about the UK.
“This is the country that’s going to be her home now.”
There is certainly precedent for such a visit.
In 2011, Prince William and the then Kate Middleton visited Northern Ireland ahead of their wedding.
The couple would likely visit Belfast and would be expected to travel to Hillsborough Castle, the royal residence here.
Her introduction to the UK begins with an away day to Nottingham on Friday, her first official royal engagement.
The pair will visit the Nottingham Contemporary which is hosting a Terrence Higgins Trust World Aids Day charity fair, and also visit Nottingham Academy to meet headteachers taking part in the Full Effect programme.
There will also be a walkabout by the bride and groom-to-be — a royal rite of passage for the future royal.
Meghan’s commitment to becoming a full-time royal was clear when the Palace confirmed she will become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry after the wedding.
It is likely to be renamed, depending on which dukedom Harry is given at his wedding by his grandmother the Queen. The foundation is behind programmes such as Heads Together.
The actress was behind the decision to end her current charitable work before she begins with the foundation.