Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding avoids royal birth

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding avoids royal birth



Prince Harry's wedding will not have its own bank holiday dampening frenzied excitement from British workers that they might have had an extra day off next year.



There are 'no plans' for a bank holiday on the day of Harry walks down the aisle with Meghan Markle, Downing Street said.



The Prime Minister's spokesman pointed out that there was no Bank Holiday to mark the weddings of Prince Andrew in 1986 or Prince Edward in 1999.



However, a Bank Holiday was held for the wedding of Princess Anne in 1973, suggesting that the move has not always been restricted only to those who are in the direct line of succession to the throne.



Although no date has been set it will avoid overshadowing the birth of his brother Prince William's third child by marrying Meghan Markle a safe distance from the due date.



The couple have also synced diaries with the Queen and other senior royals to make sure they can also attend the wedding in the spring as Windsor Castle emerged as the hot favourite.



Easter falls on April 1 this year and with Kate's due date likely to be around then there has been a flurry of bets on a late April or May wedding.



Prince Charles married Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on April 9, 2005, at Windsor's Guildhall, so his son is unlikely to clash with their 12th wedding anniversary.



Intriguingly Windsor Castle is closed on April 20 this year and its state apartments will be shut on the day before and afterwards.



But the castle told MailOnline they would not comment on private events and refused to say if it was booked for Harry.



The Queen's birthday is on April 21 meaning the couple are unlikely to choose that date for their wedding.



His brother William, who is set to be Harry's best man, chose April 29 to marry Kate Middleton in 2011 and that week could be a strong bet.



Bookies have said that May is the most likely month Harry and Meghan will walk down the aisle.



The month contains two bank holiday and has also been popular for royal weddings, including Princess Margaret's marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones on May 6, 1960.



Social media was awash with comments from British workers hoping there will be a bank holiday on the day, but this was always down to the Prime Minister to decide. 



One was ordered for when Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011 but he is a future king and Harry will be sixth in line once their third child is born next year.



But Harry is considered too far down the line of succession to warrant one, especially as his brother's children are also above him.



Reacting to the news today workers were already getting excited about the possibility of an extra day's holiday in 2018.



Ellis King‏ tweeted: 'Yaaas Prince Harry engaged so another Bank Holiday on the calendar next year oooh ya belter.



Kevin Ashcroft‏ wrote:  'Prince Harry getting married... perhaps an extra Bank Holiday????'



Cristina Rodriguez‏ said: 'So if Prince Harry is getting married, does that mean we get a bank holiday? Cos I could totally do with a bank holiday'.



Royal sources have said it is likely to me in the three months from March next year but will avoid the Duchess of Cambridge's due date in April and the weeks around it.



Adam Rogers‏ wrote bluntly: 'Do we get a bank holiday? Cos if not I don't care #RoyalWedding'.



St George's Chapel is the most likely option for Harry and his new fiancee to walk down the aisle.



The 15th century gothic church set in the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle is a popular choice for royal weddings.





Charles and Camilla had their televised blessing there in 2005 after their civil ceremony.



It would offer Harry and Ms Markle a slightly more intimate, lower key venue, but one that is still appropriately royal.



It usually holds around 800 guests, whereas Westminster Abbey - where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed - can accommodate 2,000.



The church - a place of worship for the Sovereign and the Royal Family - is often at the heart of royal events.



With the Queen now 91 and the Duke of Edinburgh 96, the choice would be especially convenient for Harry's ageing grandparents, who spend a great deal of time at home in the castle.



Surrounded by the Horseshoe Cloisters and the Henry VIII gate, the venue will also provide the Royal Family with a certain amount of privacy on the day of the wedding.



Harry was also christened in the chapel in December 1984 when he was three months old, which, according to Church of England rules, means he can also marry there.