Here's when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might get married
Recent sightings of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kissing and hand-holding at the Invictus Games have fuelled further rumours that an engagement announcement will happen in the near future.
And with the latest reports suggesting the couple are openly speaking about their marriage plans after a meeting with the Queen, it's widely believed that another royal wedding is on the horizon.
With speculation mounting, wedding planning site Bridebook.co.uk has looked into when the big day might take place, based on the results from its recent wedding and couples surveys, which together questioned 11,000 people earlier this year. Now that the countdown is well underway, here are a few – entirely unofficial – predictions on when we might see Meghan and Harry tie the knot.
The engagement
Bridebook predicts that around 100,000 proposals will be celebrated over the Christmas period through to Valentine's Day next February, making it one of the most popular times of the year to announce an engagement.
This could point to a December date for confirmation from Kensington Palace, which would tie in with Meghan's filming schedule for Suits. According to Us Weekly, multiple sources believe the couple are already engaged, but will confirm the news 'soon' once Meghan finishes her final season of the show in November.
The wedding date
The average length of engagements in Britain is currently 20 months, but royal couples have historically tied the knot after a much shorter period of time. The Queen was officially engaged to the Duke of Edinburgh for four months before marrying in November 1947. William and Kate were engaged for five months before getting married in April 2011, while Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were engaged for just two months before their civil ceremony in April 2005.
With this in mind, a spring wedding could be likely if Harry and Meghan were to confirm their engagement in early December. However, while the average couple are said to be in a relationship for 4.9 years before getting married, the prince and the actress have reportedly only been together for 18 months having met in the summer of 2016.
As for the day of the week, it's estimated that 46% of couples are now opting for non-Saturday weddings. And while cost-saving is probably not a factor for the royals, history suggests they aren't tied to a weekend wedding. Prince William and Kate Middleton got married on a Friday, allowing the nation to enjoy a long-weekend to celebrate. Prince Charles and Diana's wedding was on a Wednesday in 1981 and the Queen and Prince Philip tied the knot on a Thursday in 1947.
The venue
There has been some question as to whether or not Harry would be allowed to marry divorcee Markle in Westminster Abbey, the venue for his brother Prince William's 2011 ceremony. However, a spokesman for the Abbey has confirmed that their marriage could take place there thanks to a recent ruling by the Church of England.
While the Prince might be welcome to hold his nuptials at the Abbey, he could also follow in his father's footsteps. When Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowels in 2005, they had a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. This was said to be a way of avoiding controversy around the future head of the Church of England marrying a divorced person, and it's thought that Harry might do the same.
He would also be following the growing trend of holding a ceremony at the reception venue, a registry office or town hall, with Bridebook reporting that only 29% of weddings took place at a place of worship in 2016.
One royal expert believes a civil ceremony followed by a church blessing could be a likely option. 'Meghan is, after all, a divorcee, so it would probably be a registry office ceremony with a church blessing afterwards,' royal biographer Penny Junor told Town & Country. 'If it was to be in the UK, then I would guess that all senior members of the royal family would be there, but I don't think the Queen would go to the registry office.'
When Prince Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Queen did not attend her son's civil ceremony. Instead, she attended the later service of dedication conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and hosted a reception for friends and family at Windsor Castle. It could be the perfect place to celebrate the wedding of the year.
(Image from Getty)
From Harper's Bazaar UK
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