Hotels cut prices for Eugenie’s wedding

Hotels drop prices for weekend Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank after lukewarm interest

Anyone hoping to stay in Windsor for the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on Friday is in luck. Hotels in Windsor still have rooms available for the night of the wedding, with several appearing to have dropped their prices in the days leading up to the ceremony. Airbnb has rooms from £40, while the Harte and Garter, the pub hotel directly in front of the castle, which was overrun by international media for Prince Harry’s wedding, still has rooms at £79 for Friday and Saturday, cheaper than any other night it offers until March 2019.

WHEN the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got married in Windsor in May, the hotel and B&B rooms of the town were booked up months ahead at premium rates, while homeowners also cashed in on their castle views to let rooms for thousands of pounds.

But anyone who missed out on that chance to see the Royal family in all its glory can take heart: there is still plenty of room at the inn for the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on Friday.

Hotels in Windsor still have rooms available for the night of the wedding, with several appearing to have dropped their prices in the days leading up to the ceremony.

Airbnb has rooms from £40, while the Harte and Garter, the pub hotel directly in front of the castle which was overrun by international media in May, still has rooms at £79 for Friday and Saturday, cheaper than any other night it offers until March 2019.

Tripadvisor yesterday advertised 49 available properties in Windsor and its surrounding areas, with prices from just £75. There was availability at hotels ranging from the Travelodge to the Sir Christopher Wren hotel.

Logistics for the day also appear to be simpler than on May 19, when visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were advised to travel first thing in the morning, book car parks outside the town centre, and were warned they may not even be able to enter the main streets due to the numbers of tourists present.

This time, the council has simply warned visitors that the usual Windsor car parks may be very busy.

On May 19, Great Western Railway and South Western Railway laid on extra trains to Windsor stations. Oct 12, by contrast, will see them operate a “normal service”.

The second royal wedding of the year, at St George’s Chapel, will see members of the public given the chance to see the couple ride through the town in a carriage following their 11am ceremony.

The route will be shorter than that taken by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with admirers gathering in the narrow streets of the town centre rather than on the expansive Long Walk.

Thames Valley Police has said that visitors will see “an increase in both armed and unarmed officers in the runup to the royal wedding”. The Met Office is currently forecasting 64F (18C) with a 50 per cent chance of rain.

The public will be able to watch the event from home on television on ITV, with a This Morning special, though the BBC and Sky are not broadcasting the full ceremony.

More than 800 guests are expected at St George’s Chapel, including most senior members of the Royal family.

Yesterday, it emerged that the Duchess of Cornwall would not be attending as she has a prior engagement at a primary school’s harvest festival celebrations in Scotland.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the wedding ceremony, having scheduled their tour of Australia to begin on Tuesday Oct 16.

The Queen and the rest of the Royal family are expected to be out in force for the celebration for Princess Eugenie – the ninth-in-line to the throne and the daughter of the Duke of York and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York – and Jack Brooksbank, European brand manager for a tequila company.

David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, will marry the couple, while John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, will lead the prayers. A friend of the princess said: “It’s all going fine. It’s all progressing and they’re excited.”

49 Number of Windsor properties with rooms available on Tripadvisor yesterday. The royal wedding takes place on Friday