Royal wedding golden tickets for local heroes
Nationwide hunt launched for 2,640 commoners to join Windsor school pupils outside St George’s chapel
THE schoolchildren of Windsor are sure to be on their very best behaviour. As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce they are to invite members of the public to watch their wedding day from inside the walls of Windsor Castle, the race is on to be selected as one of the lucky few – and a large group of pupils from two schools linked to the castle are guaranteed to be on the list.
Kensington Palace said 2,640 people would be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 19, to see Ms Markle arrive at St George’s chapel in her wedding dress and be among the first to wish the newly-weds well.
Guests will be made up of charity workers, local schoolchildren and community champions, selected for their good works and contribution to society and intended to represent a broad crosssection of society.
Two schools with links to the castle will be permitted to send 100 children along for the festivities, with teachers yet to determine how they will pick the pupils.
The 98 lord lieutenants, the Queen’s representatives in the country, will be responsible for selecting 1,200 members of the public “from every corner of the United Kingdom”, to have earned their tickets through their dedicated service to their local community.
The lord lieutenants, often retired public figures, aristocrats and senior figures from the military, will consult with charities and associations to compile their list of final nominees, to be sent directly to the palace. A spokesman for the Prince and Ms Markle said: “The couple has asked that the people chosen are from a broad range of backgrounds and ages, including young people who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities.” The couple will also invite 530 members of staff from the Royal Household and Crown Estates, and more than 600 people from the Windsor Castle community. Another 200 people will be chosen from a range of charities and organisations which Prince Harry and Ms Markle have a close association with, including those which Prince Harry serves as patron. They are likely to include the stars and staff from the Invictus Games, veterans, mental health charities, HIV awareness campaigns and seriously ill children. They may also invite
representatives from homelessness charities, after controversial suggestions from a local councillor that beggars could be cleared from the streets of Windsor for their wedding.
“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,” a spokesman said.
Those among the most excited to join the fun will be 100 pupils from The Royal School and St George’s School, both of which have a strong affiliation with Windsor Castle.
The Royal School, which teaches pupils aged four to nine, was founded by Queen Victoria to educate the children of Crown Estate workers, while St George’s was created in 1348 to teach the choristers of St George’s Chapel. Costing up to £19,000 a year, it teaches around 350 pupils aged three to 13 including Lady Louise Windsor, the Queen’s granddaughter. It is understood that teachers have only recently been made aware of confirmed plans to invite their pupils.
Roger Jones, interim headmaster of St George’s School, said: “It will be an incredible experience; one that will create memories that will live with these boys and girls for the rest of their lives. We will be working together over the coming weeks to decide which pupils will be in attendance.” Colin Dyer, the chief executive of Wellchild, which has had Prince Harry as its patron since 2007, said the charity was “delighted, but not surprised” that he and Ms Markle “have decided that their wedding day is an occasion to be shared as widely as possible, supporting the organisations and issues which matter to them.”
The idea of inviting members of the public inside the grounds of the castle follows in the footsteps of the Earl and Countess of Wessex. As well as taking a carriage ride through Windsor town in 1999, the couple welcomed thousands of people, drawn by public ballot.
Other members of the public will be able to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Windsor town, thanks to a planned carriage ride through the centre.
‘It will be an incredible experience; one that will create memories that will live with these boys and girls for the rest of their lives’