What was the royal wedding itinerary for Kate and Wills’ big day and how different will Meghan and Harry’s event be?
PRINCE William and Kate Middleton tied the knot at Westminster Abbey on April 29 2011, watched by an estimated two billion people.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are due to wed at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor castle, on May 19.
What was the royal wedding itinerary for Kate and Wills' wedding?
The second-in-line for the throne, Prince William and Kate’s wedding was a much more lavish affair.
The venue and guest list was much bigger for their wedding, and the country even enjoyed a bank holiday to celebrate.
Giant screens were erected around London for people to watch the happy couple as they exchanged vows.
The Queen held a reception for the couple at Buckingham Palace following the lavish ceremony at the Abbey.
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.
They drove in Prince Charles' vintage Aston Martin DB6 Volante, before returning to the Palace for the evening reception.
The evening event saw the couple changes outfits, Kate into a second wedding dress and Prince William wore a tux.
Kate and William’s wedding itinerary
- 8.15-8.45am: General congregation arrive at Westminster Abbey
- 10.15am: Princes William and Harry arrive at the venue
- 10.30am: Some members of the royal family begin arriving
- 10:42am: The Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles arrive
- 11am: The wedding service begins and Kate Middleton arrives at the Abbey accompanied by her father, Michael Middleton
- 12:30pm: The carriage procession, complete with Captain's Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by the Queen's procession with a Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry leaves the Abbey for Buckingham Palace
- 12.40pm: Members of the Royal Family arrive at the Palace
- 1.30pm: The Queen, Kate Middleton, Prince William and other royals gather on the balcony to watch the fly-past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and the newly-weds share their infamous kiss
The intimate reception, for around 300 people, saw guests partying until the early hours.
Guests were seen returning to the Goring Hotel, where the Middleton's stayed prior to the wedding, at 3am.
The royal family footed the bill for wedding, with the event estimating to cost £23million.
What is the royal wedding itinerary for Harry and Meghan’s wedding?
The pair will tie the knot at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, on Saturday May 19, the same venue where Prince Harry, 33, was baptised in 1984.
Prince Harry proposed to the Suits actress last November, following a whirlwind 13-month romance.
The pair are reportedly spending their last weekend together as singletons in a cottage in the Cotswolds.
All eyes will be on Meghan, 36, when she appears, with much speculation over the style of dress and designer she has chosen.
Kate's long-sleeved lace dress was designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, and reportedly cost £250,000, making it one of the most expensive dresses in history.
As with Kate and Prince William's wedding, the royal family is paying the bill, and despite their wedding being a smaller affair it is projected to cost more than the 2011 event, coming in at £32million.
Harry and Meghan’s expected wedding itinerary
- 9:30am: Guests begin arriving
- 11:20am: Members of the royal family will begin arriving, following protocol the Queen will be the last royal to arrive
- 11.45am: Prince Harry and best man Prince William will arrive at the chapel
- 11:55am: Meghan Markle and her mum Doria Ragland will arrive by car at the West Steps.
- She will take in the crowds in the Long Walk.
- 12pm: The service begins and the coupler will be wed
- 1pm: Service ends and the newlyweds emerge at the West Steps of the Chapel.
- 1:05pm: They will embark on a carriage procession through the streets of Windsor will begin, taking 25 minutes.
- 2pm: Lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen at St George’s Hall
- 7pm: Bride and groom departing Windsor castle for the evening reception Frogmore House hosted by the Prince of Wales.
How will the weddings differ?
The guest list for the parents-of-three was considerably bigger, with 1,900 people attending the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Among the attendees was royalty from the UK and Spain, Bahrain, Kuwait, Luxemburg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Oman, Lesotho, Bulgaria, Denmark, Monaco and more.
A host of foreign dignitaries were also invited, including the Prime minister of New Zealand and Australia.
And UK politicians also made the cut, with then-Prime minister David Cameron, George Osbourne, Theresa May, Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson and John Bercow among the crowd.
In contrast, Prince Harry and Meghan’s guest-list is much shorter, with the venue only capable of holding 800 people.
Some 600 people have been invited to the service, with a reception for 2,640 members of the public to follow.
The pair have invited a host of people from all background who have shown strong leadership in their communities.
And in stark contrast, both UK and foreign politicians have been left off the list.
Possible likely candidates, such as Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump, have not been invited.
A Kensington Palace spokesman issued a statement explaining: "It has been decided that an official list of political leaders - both UK and international - is not required for Prince Harry and Ms Markle's wedding.
"Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household."
But a host of celebs have scored invites, with Sir Elton John and the Spice Girls rumoured to be attending.
The UK got a bank holiday for Prince William and Kate’s wedding, but that’s not the case for the younger royal.
Bars will be permitted to stay open longer, and street parties are thought to be scheduled as the majority of councils waived the fees to hold them.
There are some similarities between the weddings, with Prince William choosing Prince Harry as his best man and vice versa.
MORE ON PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE'S WEDDING
And Prince Harry and Meghan will use the same wedding carriage as Prince William, and Kate travelled in.
Kensington Palace tweeted: “Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have selected the Ascot Landau carriage for their procession through Windsor Town after their wedding on May 19th.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury will marry both couples, Rowan Williams for Kate and Prince William, and Justin Welby for Prince Harry and Meghan.
The wedding of Prince William and Kate was televised, and the same coverage will be given to the upcoming wedding.