Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invite 2,640 members of the public to May wedding
— -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced more details today about their May 19 wedding at St. George’s Chapel.
“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," Kensington Palace said in a statement on behalf of the couple.
Harry and Markle will invite 2,640 people into the grounds of Windsor Castle to see the wedding carriage procession as it departs.
Members of the public will be selected from different regions of the U.K. with a special emphasis on those who have served their community. The couple will also invite 100 students from two local schools in Windsor that have a strong affiliation with Windsor Castle.
Harry and Markle also plan to extend invitations to 200 individuals who take part in charities and organizations, where Harry serves as Royal Patron, and are close to the couple's hearts.
Earlier this week, Prince William, Princess Kate, Harry and Markle appeared publicly together for their first Royal Foundation event.
The Royal Foundation is the main vehicle for William, Harry and Kate's charity work, overseeing initiatives including their mental health campaign, Heads Together, Harry's Paralympic-style sporting event for wounded service people, the Invictus Games, and their conservation efforts such as United for Wildlife. Markle will become a patron once she and Harry tie the knot.
"I certainly know how passionate I am and Harry and I see the world so similarly in our approach of being very hands on with things," Markle said at the event.
Harry told the crowd of Markle, "I am personally incredibly proud and excited that my soon-to-be wife, who is equally passionate about seeing positive change in the world, will soon be joining us with this work."
"Catherine, Harry and I are delighted to be here this morning and we’re particularly happy to be at our first Royal Foundation event with Meghan," William said in opening the forum. "When we first started, it started as a very small idea and started with Harry and I scratching our heads thinking how can we do something for the future."
The Royal Foundation was established in 2009.
After the forum, Markle, William, Kate and Harry met with people who have benefited from the work of the Royal Foundation.
Harry joked that he and Markle were still doing charity work, despite their pending nuptials.
"We’re pretty tied up with planning a wedding, but we want to make as much of a difference as we can," he said.
Markle will give up her previous charitable work when she joins The Royal Foundation.
She has spent time traveling with Harry to different parts of the U.K., learning about the causes closest to him and meeting stakeholders. She also spent time comforting victims of one of Britain’s biggest tragedies, the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 71 people last year.
“I’ve just been here for three months, but it’s very important to hit the ground running," Markle said at the forum. "Even if it’s quietly behind the scenes, which is what I’ve focused my energy on thus far, it’s meeting with the right people and the right organizations and learning as much as I can so I can maximize the opportunity we have here to really make an impact."
Markle has been busy planning her wedding and is understood to have had her first fitting with her dress designer. Speculation remains about who will design the dress for her big day.
