Everything you need to know for visiting and staying in London for the Royal Wedding
Expected to be one of the most momentous occasions of the year, Prince Harry is set to marry Meghan Markle this summer. Having been in a relationship since 2016, the wedding marks a particularly interesting point in British Royal Family history, as back in 1936, Prince Harry’s great-great uncle, King Edward VIII, also married a divorced American – but for the pleasure of doing so, he had to abdicate the throne.
Whilst Prince Harry is not yet king, the wedding shows the change in views the Family has, taking a more modern approach that some may not have expected but which is undoubtedly seen as a positive across the board.
And with people from all around the world wanting to share in Prince Harry’s and Meghan’s big day, if you’re joining us in London for the day of the wedding, a little planning can go a long way to making sure you have a truly fantastic time.
When is the wedding?
The official date of the wedding is Saturday 19th May 2018, having been announced via Twitter on Friday 15th December 2017.
Interestingly, this breaks from tradition once again, as whilst there have been some notable exceptions, most Royal weddings are usually held on a weekday.
Whilst this does mean there won’t be an official Bank Holiday, a weekend is great for many people wishing to visit London for the wedding. However, that weekend is going to be a popular one regardless – the FA Cup Final is scheduled for the same day!
With that said, it is important to keep in mind that London really is likely to be a lot busier than normal, so do give yourself enough time in all respects.
From booking your hotel before you even get here through to setting off earlier than you thought you might need (particularly if you’re taking the Tube – you may not get the first one that arrives at the station), the day of the Royal Wedding and FA Cup Final is going to be a busy one, so be sure to plan your journeys in particular (whether that’s on foot, by car or public transport) beforehand.
Where is it taking place?
The wedding ceremony itself is taking place in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 2pm, about 25 miles outside of London’s city centre. Expecting in the region of 600 guests (according to Kensington Palace), it’s relatively small in comparison to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, who wed in front of nearly 2,000 people in 2011.
After the ceremony, the couple will journey through Windsor before returning along the Long Walk to Windsor Castle. With the reception taking place in St George’s Hall, Prince Charles will later host a private evening reception for the couple’s close friends and family.
Whilst the wedding is taking place in Windsor, given it’s only a relatively small town, so many are staying in London itself. Accommodation is much more readily available in general in London, but we’d definitely recommend you heed our advice above regarding giving yourself enough time here – although you may be able to book a hotel hours before you stay normally, over the weekend of the Royal Wedding, it’s anticipated most hotels in and around London will have limited availability. Book quickly!
What celebrations are taking place?
The primary celebrations for the wedding are without doubt going to be in Windsor itself. Big screens are planned to be erected on the Long Walk and in Alexandra Gardens, allowing for the anticipated tens of thousands of people to watch the wedding live. Food and drink will be available right throughout the outdoors of Windsor, and it’s undoubtedly going to be a brilliant atmosphere for the entire day.
However, Windsor itself isn’t a huge location. 6,000 car parking spaces are able to be pre-booked (but are quickly filling up) and extra trains are being made available to transfer people to and from the wedding location from all across the south.
But one of the great things about Royal events in the UK is wherever you are, we’re almost certain you’ll be able to find a celebration to join in with. Venues will be showing the wedding live. Outdoor parties will be in full swing. There’s talk of opening times for bars and restaurants to be extended, too.
Simply put, whether you’re in Windsor or not you’ll be able to join in with the wedding festivities and thoroughly enjoy the day.
Staying in London for the Royal wedding
Our location in London is one of our favourite aspects of DUKES (and as Travelmag pointed out, we’ve been here since 1908!). Within walking distance to so many fantastic attractions, it’s particularly beneficial if you’re planning on heading into Windsor on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s big day – we’re a short walk to Green Park tube station, from which you can travel directly to Victoria and jump on trains right throughout the day to Windsor & Eton station (itself just a short walk from Windsor Castle).
What’s more, for use over the coming weeks we’ve put together an exclusive ‘Royal Escape’ package, which includes a three hour guided walking tour of Westminster for two, complimentary afternoon tea for two in our Drawing Rooms, a complimentary four hour Windsor excursion for two, including a picnic breakfast in the car, and much more.
With there little doubt that the atmosphere in Windsor, London and right throughout the country is set to be electric on 19th May, we really do hope you’re looking forward to celebrating the Royal wedding as much as we are.