Jump directly to the content

PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to tie the knot today, and the whole world is tuning in for the Royal Wedding.

But what time does the service start and what route will the procession follow? Here's the lowdown...

 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's marriage ceremony will begin at midday
4
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's marriage ceremony will begin at middayCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

What time will the Royal Wedding start today?

Meghan Markle and her mum Doria Ragland are travelling her by car to Windsor Castle.

Guests will be arriving between 09.30am and 11.00am, and members of the Royal Family will begin to arrive from 11.20am.

They will enter St George's Chapel via the Galilee Porch, by foot or car.


Watch the Royal Wedding LIVE here


Meghan and Harry's marriage ceremony is due to start at 12pm.

The couple will tie the knot at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in front of 800 guests.

 Kate Middleton and Prince William tied the knot seven years ago, in London's Westminster Abbey
4
Kate Middleton and Prince William tied the knot seven years ago, in London's Westminster AbbeyCredit: Getty - Pool

Mr Thomas Markle, Meghan's dad, was expected to walk her down the aisle but was unable to take on the role after he suffered a heart attack.

Meghan released an official statement via Kensington Palace on May 17, which confirmed her father will not be attending the ceremony in order to "focus on his health".

Instead, Prince Charles will walk the bride down the aisle – although Meghan will make the first half of the journey alone, entering the chapel unaccompanied.

Lady Jane Fellowes will give the reading, and all three siblings of Diana, Princess of Wales, will be in attendance.


For all your Royal Wedding coverage click here


The Dean of Windsor will conduct the service and The Archbishop of Canterbury will officiate as the couple make their vows.

The service is expected to take around an hour.

You can watch the action on ITV, between 9.25am and 3pm, and on BBC from 9am until 2pm.

Sky One is also covering the event from 9am to 3pm.

The timeline of Meghan and Harry's big day

9am: Members of the public who have been invited to watch the wedding day from the grounds of Windsor Castle begin to arrive.

9.30-11.00: Wedding guests arrive at the Castle's famous Round Tower by coach and enter the chapel through the South Door and take their seats.

11.20: Members of the Royal Family begin to arrive and enter via the Galilee Porch, some on foot others by car.

11.45: Possibly around this time Harry and his brother the Duke of Cambridge arrive at the Chapel's West Steps, probably on foot walking past the thousands of spectators invited into the grounds of the castle. The moment will give Harry the chance to acknowledge the 200 representatives from charities he is associated with gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister at the bottom of the steps.

11.55-11.59: Following protocol, the Queen will be the last member of the royal family to arrive for the wedding service.

11.59: Ms Markle arrives at the Chapel's West Steps by car, from her overnight accommodation, with some of her bridesmaids and page boys.

She will start her journey, which will take her past some of the crowds in the Long Walk, with her mother Doria Ragland - but when the car stops at the castle her mother will exchange places with her bridesmaids and page boys.

Ms Ragland will enter the chapel by the Galilee Porch and in the absence of Meghan's father Thomas Markle Prince Charles will meet her halfway down the aisle.

12.00: Service starts.

1.00pm: Service ends and the newlyweds emerge at the West Steps of the Chapel. They will be waved off on their carriage procession through Windsor by members of both families. The congregation will file out of the chapel to see the newlyweds leave before heading to St George's Hall for the lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen.

1.05pm: Around this time the carriage procession through the streets of Windsor will begin, taking 25 minutes.

7.00pm: Bride and groom departing Windsor castle for the evening reception Frogmore House hosted by the Prince of Wales.

After the service, the couple will then acknowledge the 200 representatives of Prince Harry's charities gathered in the Cloister.

Seven years ago, Harry's brother Prince William and bride Kate Middleton wed at 11am, at London's grand Westminster Abbey.

Some 26.3 million Brits tuned into watch Kate and Wills tie the knot - after the Queen made April 29 a Bank Holiday that year.

 The newlyweds will take part in a procession around Windsor from the castle and back
4
The newlyweds will take part in a procession around Windsor from the castle and back

What route will the Windsor procession follow?

Immediately after getting hitched, Meghan and Prince Harry will leave Windsor Castle in a carriage at 1pm.

They will be driven along Castle Hill, Windsor High Street and into the town centre - along Sheet Street, Kings Road and Albert Road.

The newlyweds will then return to Windsor Castle, driving along the beautiful tree-lined Long Walk, for their wedding reception.

 Practice ahead of the big day
4
Practice ahead of the big dayCredit: Getty - Pool

Wills and Kate's procession took them through Central London - down Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall.

They set off at 12.15pm and were at Buckingham Palace, for their famous balcony kiss, by 1.25pm - so we'd expect Harry and Meghan to return to Windsor Castle around 2pm.

The FA Cup Final, between Chelsea and Man United, doesn't kick off at Wembley until 5.15pm - so football loving royalists can watch both.

What time is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding reception?

Once the wedding has finished, all Meghan and Harry's guests are invited to an afternoon reception - hosted by the Queen - at St George's Hall.

We expect this to start at around 2pm.

Kate and Wills stayed at their reception for two hours, with the prince driving his new bride back down the Mall to Clarence House at 3.35pm.

An evening reception will take place at Frogmore House, with the final snapshot the public can expect to see being the bride and groom departing Windsor Castle for this event.

The formal photographs, which will be taken by Alexi Lubomirski, will be released in the week following the wedding.

Topics