The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Royal wedding on cup final
Royalty: May 19 big day for couple
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding is to take place on Saturday, May 19, Kensington Palace has announced.
The pair, whose engagement was confirmed last month, are tying the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
American actress Ms Markle is set to appear at church with the Windsors at Sandringham on Christmas Day.
The wedding falls on the day of the 2018 FA Cup Final.
As president of the Football Association, Harry’s older brother the Duke of Cambridge usually attends the high-profile match and presents the trophy.
But this year, William, who is tipped to be Harry’s best man, looks likely to be otherwise engaged with wedding duties.
Harry and Ms Markle have gone against tradition by choosing a Saturday.
Royal weddings usually take place on a weekday. But Harry and his fiancee’s choice avoids the issue of whether the royal celebration should be a bank holiday.
The May wedding will also have been picked to give Kate time to recover after the birth of her third child, which is due in April.
Palace aides have already said the prince and Ms Markle’s wedding will “reflect their characters and personalities” and be a moment of “fun and joy”.
They will say “I do” in the historic surrounds of the castle’s 15th-century St George’s Chapel.
Ms Markle, who is to become a British citizen, is being both baptised and confirmed ahead of the religious ceremony.
The royal family are paying for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception.