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MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

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Meghan Markle's 'Suits' Co-Star Warned Her Life Would "Change Forever" Before Royal Wedding

Meghan Markle's 'Suits' Co-Star Warned Her Life Would "Change Forever" Before Royal Wedding

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The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Share Never-Before-Seen Photos From Their Wedding Day

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Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Arrive For Princess Eugenie's Wedding

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Why Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Have To Skip Princess Eugenie's Wedding

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Prince Harry Said The Sweetest Thing About Meghan Markle’s Wedding Make-up

Prince Harry Said The Sweetest Thing About Meghan Markle’s Wedding Make-up

The Royal Wedding Photographer Reveals "Magical Moment" Behind Everyone's Favourite Photo

The Royal Wedding Photographer Reveals "Magical Moment" Behind Everyone's Favourite Photo

We Finally Know What Meghan Markle Said In Her Wedding Reception Speech

We Finally Know What Meghan Markle Said In Her Wedding Reception Speech

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This Was The Most Popular Picture From The Royal Wedding

This Was The Most Popular Picture From The Royal Wedding

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released their official wedding photos

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released their official wedding photos

You Won’t Have To Wait Long To See Meghan and Harry Again

You Won’t Have To Wait Long To See Meghan and Harry Again

How Meghan And Harry's Wedding Compared To Wills And Kate

How Meghan And Harry's Wedding Compared To Wills And Kate

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The Special Meaning Behind Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s First Dance Song

This Is How Much Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress Cost

This Is How Much Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress Cost

The Most Beautiful Royal Wedding Dresses Of All Time

The Most Beautiful Royal Wedding Dresses Of All Time

  1. Home
  2. The Royal Wedding

You Have to Hear The Touching Reason Behind Harry and Meghan’s Whirlwind Wedding Date

Just when we thought they couldn’t get any cuter - by Alethea Redfern
  • 30 Nov 2017
You Have to Hear The Touching Reason Behind Harry and Meghan’s Whirlwind Wedding Date

Start planning your parties now, because Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed that they plan to marry in May 2018, less than six months after their engagement announcement.

From the matching his-and-hers bracelets that were one of the first clues they were dating, to the engagement ring he designed himself, the prince and bride-to-be have shown themselves to be fans of small but significant details. And it seems the reason for the timing and venue for their wedding is no exception.

Engagement Ring Harry Meghan

According to Entertainment Today and royal expert Kate Nicholl, the prince’s special bond with his grandfather Prince Philip accounts for the hasty wedding date.

“One of the reasons that Prince Harry has wanted this wedding to happen quite quickly – this is really whirlwind by royal standards – is because his 96-year-old grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, is retired now and Prince Harry really wants him to be at his wedding,” Nicholl told ET.

“He's incredibly close to his grandfather and, being 96, Harry thought it was it was a great thing to [have] the wedding sooner rather than later, so his grandfather could be there, fit and healthy.”

Harry Philip Prince

Nicholl also connected the couple’s choice to hold the ceremony at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip live, to his close relationship with his grandfather, as well as Harry and Meghan’s shared desire to do things a bit differently. 

“He didn't want to get married at the same place as his brother. He didn't want to have such a big royal wedding at Westminster Abbey – it doesn't need to be as big as William's wedding. Harry really wanted to have something a little bit more intimate. The second reason is that he wanted something close to home for the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen.” 

As well as being a place where the 33-year-old royal spends significant time with his grandparents nowadays, Windsor is also a place that holds special memories for the prince. His father Prince Charles and stepmother Camilla Parker Bowles held a blessing for their marriage there in 2005.

Camilla Charles Wedding

Nicholls suggested that the couple’s venue choice could reflect their preference for a relatively intimate ceremony. 

“I think Harry and Meghan were both united on the idea of having a small, family, intimate wedding,” she said. “I know it doesn't sound small with 800 people, but by royal standards, it is smaller.”

By contrast, Westminster Abbey – where Prince William and Kate Middleton married in April 2011 – holds 2,000 people. The chapel doesn’t have a balcony for the couple to make their first public appearance as husband and wife, but Kensington Palace aides have told Nicholl that the pair are looking into how they can “make the public as much a part of this wedding as they can”.

William Kate Wedding Kiss

Put it in your calendars now!

The Royal Wedding
The Royal Wedding's Bridesmaids And Page Boys Have Been Announced

The Royal Wedding's Bridesmaids And Page Boys Have Been Announced

Meghan Markle Releases Official Statement About Her Father

Meghan Markle Releases Official Statement About Her Father

If You Follow One Royal Instagram Account, Let It Be This

If You Follow One Royal Instagram Account, Let It Be This

The Royal Wedding

The Royal Wedding's Bridesmaids And Page Boys Have Been Announced

The Royal Wedding's Bridesmaids And Page Boys Have Been Announced

Meghan Markle Releases Official Statement About Her Father

Meghan Markle Releases Official Statement About Her Father

If You Follow One Royal Instagram Account, Let It Be This

If You Follow One Royal Instagram Account, Let It Be This

Meghan Markle Is Borrowing This From Pippa Middleton For Her Wedding Day

Meghan Markle Is Borrowing This From Pippa Middleton For Her Wedding Day

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Postponing Their Honeymoon

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Postponing Their Honeymoon

The Celebrities Likely To Be Invited To The Royal Wedding

The Celebrities Likely To Be Invited To The Royal Wedding

Meghan Markle Has Already Chosen Her Maid Of Honour

Meghan Markle Has Already Chosen Her Maid Of Honour

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Exact Wedding Date Has Been Revealed

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Exact Wedding Date Has Been Revealed

All The Signs That Erdem Is Designing Meghan Markle's Wedding Dress

All The Signs That Erdem Is Designing Meghan Markle's Wedding Dress

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Wedding Cake Revealed

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Wedding Cake Revealed

Every Way Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Wedding Will Differ from Prince William And Kate Middleton's

Every Way Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Wedding Will Differ from Prince William And Kate Middleton's

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Wedding Reception Venue Has Been Revealed

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Wedding Reception Venue Has Been Revealed

You Have to Hear The Touching Reason Behind Harry and Meghan’s Whirlwind Wedding Date

You Have to Hear The Touching Reason Behind Harry and Meghan’s Whirlwind Wedding Date

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Breaking This Weird Royal Tradition For Their Wedding

Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Breaking This Weird Royal Tradition For Their Wedding

The Queen Has Officially Given Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Her Blessing

The Queen Has Officially Given Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Her Blessing

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Don’t Want Your Wedding Gifts

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Don’t Want Your Wedding Gifts

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