Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting ready to walk down the aisle for the royal wedding on May 19 at St. George’s Chapel, and Kensington Palace is giving the world a first glimpse at what they can expect to see on the big day.
While not everyone can be a member of the Royal Family or be one of the lucky 1,200 members of the public invited to attend the royal nuptials, thousands of pairs of eyes will be glued to TVs to watch the event from around the world and thousands more will be gathered on the streets hoping to catch a sight of the royal couple.
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From the arrival of the very first guests to the Harry and Markle’s final public appearance of the day, the schedule is royally packed.
Keep scrolling to see everything that you can expect when Harry and Markle say “I do” on May 19.
May 18
According to a statement from Kensington Palace, the royal events are set to kick off on May 18, with Meghan Markle arriving at her accommodations ahead of the big day in the early evening.
It was previously reported that Markle’s mother, Doria Loyce Ragland, “will travel with Ms. Markle by car to Windsor Castle” on the day of the wedding.
Markle’s parents are expected to arrive in London the week of the wedding, “allowing time for Prince Harry’s family, including The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to spend time with them before the big day.”
May 19 – 9 a.m. GMT (4 a.m. ET)
On the day of the actual ceremony, the first to arrive will be the 1,200 members of the public who have been invited. They are expected to arrive at the grounds of Windsor Castle at around 9 a.m. local time.
“Many of these people are sharing their stories with their local media and supporters – the couple are very pleased that their wedding has provided a platform to celebrate the inspiring work of community and youth leaders from around the UK,” the statement from Kensington Palace reads.
The members of the public who come from “every corner of the United Kingdom” and were nominated to attend by nine regional Lord Lieutenant offices.
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. GMT (4:30 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. ET)
Between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. local time, guests will begin to arrive by coach to the Round Tower, which is at the center of Windsor Castle grounds. From there, they’ll walk to the South Door of St. George’s Chapel.
Among these guests will be 200 people from various charities associated with the couple, 100 students from two local schools, and 610 Windsor Castle community members.
11:20 a.m. GMT (6:20 a.m. ET)
At 11:20 a.m., members of the Royal Family will begin to arrive, both by car and by foot, and will enter St. George’s Chapel through the Galilee Porch.
Prince Harry and Prince William, who will be serving as best man, “will arrive at St George’s Chapel most likely by foot and will enter via the West Steps. This will allow Their Royal Highnesses to acknowledge all of the people gathered in the Castle precincts, including the 200 charity representatives gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister at the bottom of the steps.”
It is around this time that Markle, along with her mother, will leave their overnight location and head to St. George’s Chapel, a journey that members of the public will be able to see.
“We expect the journey into the Castle to take them along part of the Long Walk, allowing members of the public gathered there to see the car as it passes,” the statement reads. “There will also be a brief stop at the Castle where Ms. Ragland will head onto the Chapel and Ms. Markle will be joined by some of the Bridesmaids and Page Boys before she continues her journey to the church, where she will enter via the West Steps.”
12:00 p.m. GMT (7 a.m. ET)
At this time, the royal wedding will begin.
Inside St. George’s Chapel, Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, will walk the soon-to-be princess down the aisle, while Princess Charlotte will take on the role of royal bridesmaid for a second time.
It was previously announced that Markle had decided against having friends as bridesmaids and had instead chosen children to be in her wedding party.
Prince George is also expected to have a role in the wedding ceremony, which is expected to last around an hour.
1 p.m. GMT (8 a.m. ET)
Following the ceremony, Prince Harry and Markle will make their first public appearance as newlyweds.
“The newly married couple will process out of the church and acknowledge the 200 representatives of Prince Harry’s charities gathered in the Cloister. The couple are delighted that these people who will be such an important part of their official work in the years to come will be the first people they see after their wedding,” the statement reads.
A 25-minute carriage ride will then begin.
Final Appearance
Following the carriage ride and a reception at St George’s Hall, the public elements of the royal wedding will come to a conclusion.
The last time the public will see the newlyweds will be when they leave Windsor Castle and head to Frogmore House for an evening reception.
Honeymoon
After the wedding on May 19, the royal couple will not be following tradition, with Kensington Palace having announced that the pair’s honeymoon has been postponed.
“The couple will be going on honeymoon, but not straightaway,” Kensington Palace spokesman Jason Knauf told PEOPLE. “They will have their first engagement as a married couple in the week after the wedding.”
Harry and Markle are reportedly planning to honeymoon in Africa, a continent that is close to both of their hearts. Last year, the couple spent three weeks there for Markle’s birthday, and Harry is passionate about conservation efforts on the continent.
