Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry in St. George's
Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19 the same day as one of the biggest
English sports events of the year, the FA Cup final.
The date was confirmed Friday by the prince's Kensington Palace office.
While
most British royal weddings are on weekdays, this one is a Saturday,
and the same day as the soccer showdown at London's Wembley Stadium.
Harry's
grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and other royals are expected to attend
the wedding, along with Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria
Ragland.
The climax of soccer's oldest cup competition
could present a distraction for guests at the royal reception, although
the events should at least be at different times.
The FA
Cup competition, which is open to hundreds of teams all the way from
the top-ranked Premier League down to amateur clubs, began in August and
is played every month until two teams meet in the final.
England's
Football Association said in a statement that “May 19 promises to be a
wonderful day with such a special royal occasion being followed by
English football's showpiece event.”
The timing could be
an issue for Harry's older brother Prince William, who is expected to
be the best man at the wedding. William is president of the Football
Association. He attended this year's match and presented a trophy to the
winner, Arsenal but will likely be otherwise engaged in 2018.
Harry is an Arsenal fan, and may find himself conflicted if his team makes the final for a fourth time in the last five years.
The prince and Markle announced their engagement last month after an 18-month romance.
The
33-year-old prince, who is fifth in line to the British throne, and the
36-year-old divorced American actress met through a mutual friend in
2016, bonded during a camping holiday in Botswana and managed to keep
their relationship secret from the media for several months.
In
a joint interview last month, Markle said Harry proposed over a
roast-chicken dinner at home. He gave her a ring set with two diamonds
that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.
Markle
is to be baptised in the Church of England before the wedding, and has
said she will acquire British citizenship. That will require passing an
eclectic citizenship test on British life and history that is famous for
tripping up applicants.
The wedding venue holds a central place in the history of the royal family.
Windsor
Castle, west of London, is one of Queen Elizabeth II's main residences.
The 15th-century chapel is as historic but more intimate than
Westminster Abbey, where William married Kate Middleton in 2011.
When
the engagement was announced, the palace said the wedding of Prince
Harry and Markle will “reflect their characters and personalities” and
be a moment of “fun and joy.”
