The Royal Wedding: Is The Coverage Media Overkill?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are inviting 2,640 members of the public to the grounds of Windsor Castle on their wedding day - but the invitation stops short of a slice of the royal cake.

The commoners, 1,200 of whom will be chosen “from every corner of the United Kingdom”, will get to watch the arrival of the bride and groom as well as their wedding guests, and then the carriage procession as it leaves after the service.

The couple said they want members of the public “to feel part of the celebrations too”. They will not attend the ceremony inside St George’s chapel at Windsor Castle on 19 May, or the reception.

Of the invitees, 1,200 will be nominated by nine regional lord lieutenant offices. Lord lieutenants are the queen’s personal representatives in each county of the UK.


A statement from Kensington Palace said: “The couple has asked that the people chosen are from a broad range of backgrounds and ages, including young people who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities.”

All of the tickets will be named, preventing anyone trying to make money by selling them.

The Duchess of Cambridge has gone into labour with her third child.

Catherine and the Duke of Cambridge travelled to the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, in central London on Monday morning.

Catherine has been on maternity leave since making a last royal visit to a charity lunch in London on 22 March.

The baby will be fifth in line to the throne and the Queen's sixth great-grandchild.

The birth will be announced with an email to the press and a celebratory tweet posted on the Kensington Palace Twitter feed.

There will also be the traditional custom of placing a framed paper proclamation on an ornate gold stand behind the iron railings of Buckingham Palace.

As with her first two children, Kate is hoping for a natural birth and does not know whether she is having a boy or a girl.