Eugenie’s golden ticket with a little less lustre

Borrowing from Harry’s wedding playbook, the Princess will hold public ballot to watch her nupitals

IT WAS the wedding that captured the hearts of the world, from the carriage ride through Windsor to the golden ticket holders inside the castle gates.

Anyone missing the joy of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s big day can take heart, as the Royal family prepare to do it all over again in October.

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have announced plans for their St George’s Chapel wedding, following in the footsteps of the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex to welcome admirers in to share their “special day”.

The Princess, 28, and the 31-year-old tequila brand ambassador will invite 1,200 members of the public inside the walls of the castle to watch their family and friends walk into the chapel.

After the service, they will take a carriage ride through Windsor, to allow the public a glimpse of the newlyweds. The couple, who will marry on Friday Oct 12, are to adopt the same key elements as the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 1999.

Representatives from their favourite charities will wait outside the chapel for the first view of the bride and groom, with 1,200 ticket holders getting close enough to spot senior members of the Royal family and the numerous expected celebrity guests.

The guest list may include significant overlaps with the May 19 wedding, with the Duke of Sussex and Princess Eugenie sharing many friends, including Cressida Bonas. George and Amal Clooney may also attend as Mr Brooksbank works for the actor’s Casamigos Tequila as UK brand ambassador.

The Duchess of York will take centre stage as mother of the bride.

Announcing details, Buckingham Palace said the couple would be inviting members of the public, who can apply online for tickets, to share their day.

“The couple are delighted to announce an opportunity for 1,200 people from across the UK to be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle to share the experience of their special day,” a spokesman said. “The attendees will view the arrival of the congregation and members of the Royal family, listen to a live broadcast of the marriage service and watch as the bride and groom depart St George’s Chapel at the end of the ceremony.”

The newly-weds will also undertake a carriage ride through the town, slightly shorter than the route taken by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Travelling through Windsor High Street, they will not travel down the Long Walk, tactfully avoiding any visual comparison between the number of admirers who turn out to celebrate their day with the crowds on May 19. Like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the couple will invite members of the Windsor community, residents of the castle and some royal household staff to stand in the grounds, along with children from the local schools that Princess Eugenie attended.

♦ The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could make their first visit to America next year, as aides consider a transatlantic charm offensive to the former home of Meghan Markle, who hails from California.

The pair will undertake their first major tour to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji this autumn.