Royal Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle date, venue, dress, guest list latest

All eyes will be on Prince Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, in May as they marry in a celebration of “fun and joy” attended by 2,640 guests, including 1,200 members of the public “from every corner of the UK”.

Kensington Palace said: "Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle have said they want their wedding day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too.

“This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom.”

When is the wedding date? What is the venue?

Meghan and Harry will marry on Saturday, May 19 inside St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry was christened.

The chapel is just a short walk from Eton College where the young prince went to school.

Although the couple have invited 2,640 people along to the grounds, St George’s only seats approximately 800 people so not everyone will see the Royal nupitals.

The guest list will be smaller than Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding when they married at Westminster Abbey in front of 1,900 invitees.

Who is marrying the couple? What time is the ceremony?

The Dean of Windsor will conduct the ceremony, which begins at 12pm.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will officiate the couple as they make their vows.

Justin Welby recently led the baptism and confirmation of Meghan in the Church of England at a private service in front of Prince Harry, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Chapel Royal.

Following the service, at 1pm, Prince Harry and his new bride will leave Windsor Castle by carriage for a procession through the crowds.

They will travel through the town, via Castle Hill and the High Street, before returning to Windsor Castle for their reception along the Long Walk.

Invited wedding guests will congregate at St George’s Hall where Prince Charles will host a private evening reception for close family members and friends.

Who is designing the wedding dress?

A host of designers are in the running for the prestigious job of creating Meghan’s wedding dress.

Stewart Parvin, the Queen’s dressmaker since 2000, is the bookie’s favourite with odds of 1-2.

But Erdem Moralioglu is another hot favourite, with Meghan telling Vanity Fair that the Canadian-Turkish former Vivienne Westwood intern is “a designer I’ve been wearing for years”.

Other names in the running include Australian power couple Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo of Ralph & Russo, plus British bridal gown queen Jenny Packham.

Ralph & Russo are odds-on with Ladbrokes to design Meghan Markle's wedding dress.

A surge of bets saw the bookies trim odds to just 4/5 last week, but they've since fallen to just 4/6 - a record low price for any favourite since the market opened last year.

Despite Victoria Beckham previously ruling herself out as the designer, the bookies are offering 2-1 odds on the former Spice Girl being the designer.

Coral's John Hill said: "Victoria and Meghan are good friends so it would not be a huge surprise if the former pop singer was chosen to design the Royal wedding dress later this year where she is second best in the latest betting.”

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "Markle will sparkle on her big day regardless of the designer, but it's fast becoming a popular market for punters who seem to be torn between Ralph & Russo and Victoria Beckham."

Who is on the guest list?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding is likely to be a star-studded affair.

There is still speculation over whether Donald Trump will receive an invite - it is proving controversial as Prince Harry is known to be good friends with former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, who are rumoured to also be attending. Meghan has also spoken out against Mr Trump.

The prince was quizzed on whether the Obamas would be invited when he guest-edited BBC Radio 4’s Today programme after Christmas but refused to give anything away.

The decision could cause a diplomatic headache with relations between Theresa May’s government and the White House said to be strained.

Other names on the list are said to include tennis ace Serena Williams plus Suits actors Patrick J Adams, Sarah Rafferty and Wendell Pierce.

The best man is expected to be the Duke of Cambridge while Prince Harry's nephew and niece Prince George and Princess Charlotte are certain shoo-ins for page boy and flower girl.

Meghan’s older brother, Thomas Markle Jr, is not being invited to the big day.

The 1,200 members of the public will be nominated by regional Lord Lieutenant offices, the palace said, with invitees including persons from charities and organisations close to Harry and Meghan’s hearts.

In addition, 100 pupils from the Royal School, Great Park, Windsor and St George's School, Windsor Castle. have been invited to attend proceedings.

Who will be the best man and who will Meghan choose to be her bridesmaids?

Prince Harry is expected to choose his brother Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, as his best man.

However, William has already joked that he is yet to be asked by his younger brother so it may be the young prince could choose a close friend instead.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte are almost certain to be page boy and flower girl after their adorable turn at the wedding of Pippa Middleton to James Matthews in May last year.

Meghan Markle is likley to choose her bridesmaids from her close friends, including Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney and Indian actress and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra. 

Speeches and music

In a break with tradition, Meghan will deliver her own speech and is also “ready” to speak at the reception should her father Thomas Markle bow out, according to the Sunday Times.

The Sun has said Sir Elton John will not only be attending the Royal Wedding, but performing at it - reportedly cancelling two Las Vegas gigs on the same May weekend as the wedding.

The close friend of Princess Diana was an attendees at Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

Mel B has also hinted that the Spice Girls have been invited to perform at the wedding after confirming all five have received invites.

Mel, 42, was asked on the US talk show The Real if she knew anybody going to the ceremony, replying: “Yeah, I’m going. I don’t know if I should’ve said that.

Asked if she knew anyone else, she added: “Well, us five Spice Girls… why am I so honest?”