Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are wasting no time to prepare for their upcoming nuptials. In five months, the couple will be exchanging vows in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. By royal standards, Harry and Meghan’s engagement is considered whirlwind, having only been together for over a year. However, there’s a sweet, heartwarming reason why the Prince of Wales wanted to get married so quickly.
Royals aren’t known for long-term engagements. For instance, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were also engaged for a short period. Their engagement was publicly announced in February 1981 and they were wed in July of the same year. Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged for five months before walking down the aisle. Unlike Harry and Meghan, however, William and Kate were together for eight years before deciding to settle down.
Aside from this pattern, there’s another touching reason why Prince Harry is in a rush – his grandfather, Prince Philip.
The Duke of Edinburgh is already 96-years-old and has officially retired from his royal duties. Royal expert Kate Nicholl told ET that Harry wants his grandfather to be at his wedding. She added that Harry is “incredibly close to his grandfather” and that he wanted to have the wedding as soon as possible so that Prince Philip can attend “fit and healthy.”
As a matter of fact, Harry particularly chose to get married at Windsor instead of having a big royal wedding at Westminster Abbey because he “wanted something close to home” for his grandparents.
A wedding ceremony held at St. George’s Chapel will allow a more intimate affair for Harry and Meghan compared to Westminster Abbey’s 2,000-seat capacity. Although St. George’s Chapel can still house 800 people, it is still small by royal standards.
Windsor is a very special place for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and it is said to be the place where they spend most of their time. Interestingly, the royal couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in Windsor in November, Vanity Fair reported.
On Harry’s part, he spent a significant amount of time in Windsor. It is where he grew up and went to school. As an adult, it’s where he spends most of his time with his grandparents. It’s also where Harry introduced Meghan Markle to the Queen.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle will soon break tradition by being the first fiancée to join the members of the royal family for Christmas festivities. Ahead of their spring wedding, the Suits actress will be joining Harry’s side of the family for traditional activities, such as opening presents on Christmas Eve.