Royal wedding: Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle - live updates

Follow the latest news, video and pictures from the Royal wedding at Windsor Castle in England

Key events and timings (All timings UAE):

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle proclaimed husband and wife
• Harry and Meghan have become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
• Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle
• Meghan wears a custom Givenchy wedding gown

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18:45 - That's it from us!

Read the full story of Saturday's regal affair:

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17:50 - French fashion house Givenchy says it was "truly an honour" designing the Duchess's dress

Read more: Dressing the royal bride: Givenchy reveals the inspiration behind Meghan Markle's dress

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17:45 - Royal couple join guests for the wedding breakfast

After the procession, the couple returned to Windsor Castle for their wedding reception hosted by the Queen.

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17:15 - Throwback to Harry and Meghan leaving the Chapel

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex gather with their family and friends outside the Chapel, and are greeted by 200 guests involved with organisations closely associated with the couple #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/L8MX4me9t7

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 19, 2018

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16:15 - Royal procession

The crowds cheer with delight as Harry and Meghan make their way through Windsor. Well-wishers have been waiting for hours to see the happy couple.

Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex begin their carriage procession in the Ascot Landau Carriage after their wedding ceremony. Odd Andersen/ AFP 

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16:07 - Sealed with a kiss!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the church with their bridesmaids and pageboys. The couple kiss at the steps while onlookers cheer.

Harry and Meghan will now process through Windsor in a horse-drawn carriage to give the 100,000 people that have arrived in the town a chance to see them for the first time as newlyweds.

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16:05 - God Save the Queen

No British royal wedding would be complete without the national anthem. The congregation stand and sing "God Save the Queen".

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15:55 - Signing of the register

A cellist plays for the congregation while Harry and Meghan sign the marriage register, making their marriage official.

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15:50 - Prayers and a hymn

Prayers are led by Archbishop Angaelos and The Reverend Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin from the Nave. Before the choir sings Guide Me Oh Thou Great Redeemer.

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15:41 - Husband and wife

After the exchanging of the rings, the Archbishop says the couple are now officially married.

"In the presence of God, and before this congregation, Harry and Meghan  have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings.

"I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife."

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 19: Prince Harry places the wedding ring on the finger of Meghan Markle during their wedding service, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

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15:40 - Harry and Meghan say their vows

"I Harry, take you, Meghan, to be my wife": The couple join hands as the Archbishop of Canterbury, leads the vows.

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15:35 - The Choir sings "Stand by Me"

Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir sing a moving version of Ben E King's 1962 classic.

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15:20 – The Most Rev Bishop Michael Curry gives address

The bishop spoke about the Power of Love during the service at St George's Chapel.

He said: "There's power in love. Don't underestimate it. Don't even over-sentimentalise. There is power, power in love."

He is the first African-American presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church in the US and travelled from Chicago to be a the service.

The Most Rev Bishop Michael Curry, primate of the Episcopal Church, speaks during the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Owen Humphreys/pool photo via AP)

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15:15 – Prince Charles escorts Ms Markle down the aisle

Ms Markle, dressed in an ivory-white, off-the-shoulder Givenchy bridal gown, has met Prince Harry at the altar after being walked down the aisle by his father, Prince Charles.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for their wedding in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Dominic Lipinski/Pool via REUTERS

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15:00 – Ms Markle arrives at St George's Chapel

Ms Markle has arrived at the chapel, to loud cheers from the awaiting crowd.

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14:50 – The Queen and Prince Philip arrive at Windsor Castle 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have entered St George's Chapel.

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14:40 – Crowds amass at Kensington Gardens 

For those who can't be in Windsor today, there's numerous screenings across the country - whether it be at home, or at a public screening like the one at Kensington Gardens.

Tyler, 23, from London, was at the screening and spoke of the "whole American appeal" Ms Markle would bring to the royal family.

"She'll bring that Meghan sparkle!"

When asked if he expected it to be different from the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, Tyler replied: "Well there's no Pippa to steal the limelight this time!".
Lanie, 44, lives in London but is originally from Singapore, and agreed Meghan was different from other royals.
"It's nice that Prince Charles is walking her down the aisle as her dad can't be there. We need to accept everyone."

Susan, 62, from Kent said: "Meghan will bring energy and vibrancy to the royal family. I think she will be a positive role model."

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14:15 – Meghan Markle leaves Cliveden House 

Ms Markle has left her hotel and is en route to Windsor Castle with her mother, Doria Ragland.

Meghan Markle leaves the Cliveden House Hotel, for her wedding at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle to Prince Harry. Darren Staples / Reuters.

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14:00 – The cast of Suits arrives 

Before Meghan Markle was a royal-in-waiting, she was Rachel Zane on a hit American TV show, Suits. She quit the show when she became engaged to Prince Harry, but it seems there's no bad blood.

Her former castmates, including Gabriel Macht, Gina Torres, and Ms Markle's former on-screen husband, Patrick J Adams, have arrived with the rest of the Suits cohort, after being busy sharing pictures on social media in the lead-up to the wedding.

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13:35 – Celebrity guests descend on Windsor 

Amal and George Clooney, the Beckhams, and the Middletons, and plenty more well-known faces have arrived ahead of the ceremony.

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13:15 – Prince Harry leaves his hotel

The groom has left his hotel room at Coworth Park and is en route to Windsor Castle.

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13:05 – Guests start to arrive

Oprah Winfrey, the actor Idris Elba and musician James Blunt are among the celebrity guests who have started to arrive at Windsor Castle.

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12:55 – Armed Forces congratulate Prince Harry

Here’s a special message from HMS Albion’s Royal Marines to their Comandant General #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/yuFgplKwO2

— HMS Albion (@hms_albion) May 19, 2018

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12:20 - Meanwhile…

A reminder that the Royal wedding is not the only thing happening today: overnight the political bloc led by the populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr was confirmed as the winner in Iraq's parliamentary election; a new bridge is to be constructed in Dubai as part of the Dh5 billion Shindagha Corridor project; and further relief will be coming from football's FA Cup final later today when Manchester United meet Chelsea at Wembley.

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12pm - Crowds swell outside Windsor Castle

Less than three hours before the festivities begin, crowds are gathering en masse outside the front gates of Windsor Castle.

Loud, sporadic cheers can be heard from the joyful crowd, as people wave flags and settle in for an afternoon of pageantry.

Britain Royal Wedding

Fans clad in Union flags arrive prior to the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo

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11:35 - Prince Harry to become the Duke of Sussex

Queen Elizabeth II has conferred a dukedom on Prince Harry, making him the Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.

The new title will mean that when Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle later today she will become the Duchess of Sussex.

The monarch similarly bestowed titles on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before their wedding in 2011.

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11:25 - Business world turns red, white and blue

Everyone’s getting in on the act, in this instance Google:

Google Maps have made the #RoyalWedding carriage procession route red, white and blue 😍 pic.twitter.com/U9kQXlU8pd

— Marc Ridley (@marcridley) May 19, 2018

Who can forget (what, you did?) British Airlines only assigning crew members named Harry and Meghan (and Megan without an h) on their flight from London to Toronto today.

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10:45 - Prepare for a day of pageantry

Queen Elizabeth II is of course famed – among many other things – for her love of horses, an interest she shares with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. Her grandson and his wife will process by horse-drawn carriage from St George’s Chapel and the last minute touches were being put in place yesterday.

Staff at The Royal Mews apply their final touches, ahead of tomorrow’s #RoyalWedding.

Find out more about the horses and carriages that will be used: https://t.co/LDnofYXlba pic.twitter.com/Yx6ufe7SQ0

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 18, 2018

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09:15 - Dawn breaks and crowds gather

Crowds of well wishers are assembling already in Windsor, many draped in British and American flags. Some slept out overnight, huddled on benches – prime vantage points claimed early by the most obsessive supporters of the monarchy.

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04:00 - Wedding fever dominates Britain's front pages

The front pages of Saturday's newspapers in the UK are dominated by the image of Meghan Markle arriving with her mother, Doria Ragland, at the Cliveden House Hotel the night before she marries Prince Harry.

Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arrive at Cliveden House Hotel on the National Trust's Cliveden Estate to spend the night before her wedding to Prince Harry. (Getty Images)

"Welcome to the family," The Times proclaimed.

"Happy as Harry," said The Mirror, while The Sun led with the line: "I'm getting Harryed in the morning." The Daily Mail, meanwhile, chose to focus on Ms Markle's role in modernising the British monarchy, declaring it: "A magically modern royal wedding."

Meghan Markle is a symbol of change for British monarchy

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02:00 - Anglican prayers, classical music, gospel expected at wedding

Kensington Palace has released the order of service for Saturday's ceremony in the 15th-century St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

It revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry in an Anglican service with an American flavor that mixes prayers, classical music, a gospel choir and sweet soul sounds.

The Official Order of Service for the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle is now available to download.https://t.co/dRHckWM0j8

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 18, 2018

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00:15 - Meghan Markle feeling 'wonderful' ahead of wedding

Meghan Markle and her mother Doria Ragland have arrived at the exclusive Cliveden House Hotel where they will spend the night before the royal wedding.

As she arrived at the hotel, the American actress said she was feeling "wonderful" ahead of her big day.

Both mother and daughter were all smiles after Ms Ragland's first meeting with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, at Windsor Castle.

Ms. Meghan Markle arrives at Cliveden House Hotel, accompanied by her mother Ms. Doria Ragland #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/SqOFhb0Wr5

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 18, 2018

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22:00 - Prince Harry meets crowds in eve-of-wedding walkabout

Prince Harry visited delighted crowds of well-wishers outside Windsor Castle on Friday on the eve of his wedding to Meghan Markle, accompanied by his brother Prince William.

The brothers, wearing jackets and open necked shirts, walked along a line of flag-waving spectators, shaking hands and chatting -- causing huge excitement among the crowd.

Prince Harry and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, embark on a walkabout in Windsor, England, ahead of the royal wedding of Harry to Meghan Markle (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

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20:00 - Meghan Markle 'to take the royal family into the future'

"Meghan will bring a new perspective to the royal family," royal biographer Claudia Joseph told Reuters. "Obviously she comes from a very different background and ... that’s hugely important to take the royal family into the future."

Meghan Markle is a symbol of change for British monarchy

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19:45 - Here comes the bride... but not that bride

Vicky Compson got married to Aron Hallam at Windsor's Guildhall on Friday May 18. The couple, who booked the wedding before Harry and Meghan did, were cheered on by well-wishers who had arrived in the town ahead of Saturday's royal nuptials.

Bride Vicky Hallam walks through Windsor after her marriage in the Guildhall, ahead of the wedding between Harry and Meghan. Dylan Martinez/ Reuters.

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19:15 - Security stepped up for the big day

The long walk is very aptly named! 😅

A few of our officers have been conducting high visibility bike patrols, which allows us to travel quickly to any potential issues 🚲 pic.twitter.com/8oXXUW8ETO

— Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) May 18, 2018

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18:45 - Prince Charles arrives 

Britain's Prince Charles arrives at Windsor Castle a day ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's wedding, in Windsor, Britain, May 2018. Hannah McKay/ Reuters

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18:20 - Parade route details

This is the (sped-up) route the couple will take through the town of Windsor after the ceremony.

As preparations for the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle continue in Windsor, join us for a look at the route the newlyweds will take in a Carriage Procession following the Wedding Ceremony.#RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/YnFQVhxxti

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 18, 2018

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18:05 - Did you know?

Harry had never heard of Meghan or watched Suits before the pair were set up by a mutual friend in July 2016.

Meghan played lawyer Rachel Zane in the US drama for seven years before announcing her retirement from acting last year.

Her Suits co-stars have already started arriving in London ahead of the wedding on Saturday. Gabriel Macht, who plays lawyer Harvey Specter in the drama, uploaded a picture of himself and his wife Jacinda in Hyde Park on Thursday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gabriel Macht (@iamgabrielmacht)

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17:25 - Duke of Edinbugh will attend

Prince Philip, who is 96 and recently had a hip operation, will attend the service, Buckingham Palace said on Friday, joining his wife Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, the announcement that Prince Charles will walk down the aisle with Meghan Markle will go some way to drawing a line under the turmoil that has surrounded her family in the later stages of the preperations, notably her father Thomas's once likely – and now certain – absence on the day.

While the best man is Prince William – Harry's brother – the other guests in closest attendance to the bride to be will all be children after she decided she did not want to have to choose between her adult friends.

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17:00 -  Have your say

 

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16:30 - A menu fit for a royal wedding

If you are hosting a wedding-watching party we have put together a tempting menu of American and British-inspired recipes which will help to keep your guests happy during the proceedings.

Meanwhile we report that the wedding has been influencing food trends on Instagram.

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15:40 - In for the long haul

Many royalist supporters have been camping along the carriage route in Windsor for a couple of days. More here in our gallery:

Britain Royal Wedding

A group of woman from Canada sit outside Windsor Castle. Emilio Morenatti / AP Photo

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15:30 - Everyone loves a (royal) wedding

Why are many of us so enamoured with royalty and, more particularly, their nuptials? We look into our common obsession with royal weddings.

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15:05 - A dream combination for British retailers

A Royal wedding and the FA Cup Final at Wembley on the same day are expected to drive up sales for UK retailers. Good weather with plenty of sunshine - as expected on the day - will also help.

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15:00 - How to join in on Saturday

For those of you in the UK who are venturing out to join the throng in Windsor, here's where to eat/sleep/shop during what is expected to be a 100,000-strong street party.

If you are in the UAE and want to watch the wedding in good company there are parties aplenty in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Here are some options – 14, in fact – to make your day extra special.

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14:00 - The bride is a symbol of change for the British monarchy

As recently as 60 years ago, a divorcee such as Ms Markle was blocked from marrying into British royalty. We look at the history of Royal weddings in decades gone by.

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13:50 - Meet the royal superfan
Thousands of well-wishers will be lining the streets of Windsor to catch a glimpse of the couple. Donna Werner has travelled thousands of miles from Connecticut in the United States:

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13:45 - Royal wedding cake
The royal wedding cake designer and her team were busy in Buckingham Palace's kitchens on Thursday putting the finishing touches on a "quintessentially Spring and British" wedding confectionary fit for a prince and princess.
Claire Ptak, who runs a bakery in London, was chosen by the couple in March to design the cake which will have "a lemon sponge, a lemon curd filling and an elderflower Swiss spring buttercream" icing. Watch below:

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13:30 (11:30 BST)

Hello and welcome to The National's rolling coverage of the build up to the Royal Wedding.

Prince Harry, 33, and the American actress Meghan Markle, 36, are to marry at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on Saturday.

The groom's father and heir to the throne, Prince Charles, will walk the bride down the aisle, Kensington Palace said on Friday.

An update on the #RoyalWedding: pic.twitter.com/wfJ6ZFyzHi

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 18, 2018

Final preparations are well under way and the streets of Windsor, which is 25 miles west of central London, are already bustling in anticipation. An estimated 100,000 well-wishers are expected to line the streets on Saturday while 600 guests attend the service in the chapel, with thousands more invited to the castle grounds.

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Royal wedding coverage:

Meghan Markle is a symbol of change for British monarchy

Our obsession with royal weddings

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal details of their big day

Beneath a baobab: how Prince Harry and Meghan's love blossomed in Botswana

The changing roles of the royal wives of Windsor

Hosting a royal wedding party? Combine cuisines to create a menu fit for royalty

PICTURES: inside the royal kitchen

Britain Royal Wedding

Royal chef Mark Flanagan at work in the royal kitchen. The Royal Kitchen at Windsor Castle has begun preparations for the wedding banquet for the marriage ceremony of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in Windsor, Britain. David Parker / AP Photo