Royal Wedding Countdown: Who Will Attend

As the world waits with eager anticipation for the impending royal nuptials, many are wondering who will attend the big event.

What know so far is that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be married on Saturday, May 19, 2018, and the wedding will be held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, which only holds a maximum of 800 guests.

Interestingly, this is not the same place as where Harry’s brother Prince William married Kate Middleton. They were wed in Westminster Abbey in London.

Scroll down to read more about who will be in attendance for Harry ad Markle’s big day!

The Bride and Groom

Of course, no wedding would be complete without the bride and groom!

Harry is a 33-year-old member of the British Royal Family, and Markle is a 36-year-old American actress, though she has since given up the profession now that she is set to wed Prince Harry.

Maid of Honor?

One of the most asked questions has been whether or not Markle will have a maid of honor for the ceremony.

The answer is no, she will not. She has opted to forgo that tradition, according to PEOPLE.

“She has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didn’t want to choose one over another,” a palace spokesperson previously announced. “All have been actively involved in helping her prepare for the day and will be there in the days beforehand. She’s very happy to have their support.”

Best Man

As many rightly suspected, Prince William be serving as Prince Harry’s best man.

“The Duke of Cambridge is honored to have been asked, and is very much looking forward to supporting his brother at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor on May 19th,” the palace previously announced.

Prince Phillip?

Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, recently underwent hip-replacement surgery.

Many have wondered if his recovery will in any way prohibit him from attending the wedding of his grandson.

As of now, the palace has said that they “very much hope” he will recuperated enough to make an appearance.

Other Wedding Party Members

There is no word on is anyone else will we be standing up with the bride and groom, but, traditionally, younger members of the royal family make up the remainder of the wedding party.

On May16, Kensington Palace revealed that the bridesmaids will be three-year-old Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Harry’s godchildren, three-year-old Florence van Cutsem, and two-year-old Zalie Warren.

Meghan’s goddaughters, six-year-old Remi Litt, and seven-year-old Rylan Litt, will join her close friend’s daughter, four-year-old Ivy Mulroney, as part of the bridal party.

The page boys for the ceremony will be William and Kate’s four-year-old son Prince George, and the children of Meghan’s best friend and unofficial wedding planner Jessica Mulroney — seven-year-old twins Brian and John Mulroney. Prince Harry’s six-year-old godson Jasper Dyer will also serve as a page boy.

The Officiant

The wedding ceremony will be conducted by The Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Revd. and Rt Hon. Justin Welby.

However, The Rt Revd. David Conner, the Dean of Windsor, will be leading the complete service at the chapel.

Harry’s Exes?

Some have be curious about Harry’s ex-girlfriends, and if any of them have been invited to the wedding.

At this time, there is no report indicating whether or not he has, but some speculate that Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas may show up.

Interestingly, Prince William invited five of his reported past romances to his wedding in 2011.

Meghan’s Friends and Family

In addition to her parents, a few of Markle’s friends are scheduled to be at her wedding to Prince Harry.

At this time, Jessica Mulrone, Markle’s longtime friend and stylist; Lindsay Roth, a friend of Markle’s from her time at Northwestern University; and fashion designer, Misha Nonoo, are all reported to be attending.

Relatedly, a few years back, Markle served as maid of honor in Roth’s wedding.

Markle’s mother will also be attending the ceremony, but non of her other family is confirmed at this time.

The actresses father, Thomas Markle, had wanted to be a part of the big day, but it was recently reported that he will undergo heart surgery, which will prevent him from attending.

Priyanka Chopra: Yes! Serena Williams: Maybe?

One of Markle’s celebrity friends, actress Priyanka Chopra (Quantico), will also be on-hand for the wedding.

During an interview with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live, Chopra joked that she was worried about “those little hats! How do those things stay [on]?”

One of Markle’s other celebrity pals, Serena Williams, may attend, but it is currently unclear.

“I don’t know, I think it’s during one of the tournaments, so we’ll see if I can make it,” the tennis player previously told Good Morning America about the possibility of her attending.

Other Guests

All of Harry’s immediate family is scheduled to be in attendance for the wedding, as well as cousins such as Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

A few of his friends from his time in the military will also be there.

The Spice Girls may also be in the crowd for the nuptials, as singer Mel B previously revealed that she would be attending.

However, another member of the group, Mel C, was quoted as saying in early March, “There are no plans to go to the wedding at the moment.”

Many of Harry’s family members form his mother’s side of the family will also be attending, Fox News reports.

 

Public Guests

In addition to all of the guests directly connected to the bride and groomer, a number of specific public guests have been invited.

“The couple asked Lord Lieutenants to invite 1,200 people to join the celebrations, including young people who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities,” explained Kensington Palace in a tweet.

Many of the public guests who have been invited have been featured in a series of follow-up tweets from the palace, showcasing why exactly they were chosen.