Harry and Meghan’s wedding 'to boost economy by £1bn'

Harry and Meghan’s wedding 'to boost economy by £1bn'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will marry on May 19 at Windsor Castle's famous St George's chapel, it was revealed today.

The couple have chosen to ignore royal tradition and walk down the aisle on a Saturday so more people in the UK and across the globe can watch on TV or even come to Berkshire on their wedding day.

A royal aide told MailOnline: 'They remain hugely grateful for the messages of support they have received from people all over the world'.

But football fans are bemused because they will wed on FA Cup Final day even though Harry's best man Prince William is FA President and usually presents its famous trophy to the winners at Wembley.

It could also lead to a TV coverage clash of the first major royal wedding since 2011 and the biggest football match of the year in Britain. 

The date also means Harry and his fiancee will not to marry on either the early May or late May bank holidays as wished for by some working Britons.

And May 19 ensures that the wedding will not overshadow the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child in April and allow Kate the time to recover. 

Royal sources insisted last night the events would not overlap, which suggests the wedding could take place in the morning, with the Cup Final in the late afternoon. 

A royal aide said the couple opted for a weekend wedding because they wanted as many members of the public to be involved as possible, whether by watching it on television or attending in person at Windsor.

The Mail understands Harry and Meghan were keen to avoid the possibility of having to declare a bank holiday and wanted the wedding to seem more informal.

‘Most couples get married on a Saturday and it wasn’t as if they had to worry about another couple already having snagged the date,’ said a source. 

Last night the Mail revealed the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry Prince Harry and divorcee Meghan, in another sign of changing royal and religious mores.

In a radio interview yesterday Justin Welby declined to say whether he would officiate at the service, saying only that it was 'up to them'.

But the Mail understands that he has, in fact, already agreed to marry the couple in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in May.

The Suits star, 36, will be baptised and confirmed before the ceremony at St George's chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. 

May 19 is an inauspicious day for one former royal because it was when Anne Boleyn was beheaded on the orders of Henry VIII at the Tower of London in 1536. 

Royal weddings usually take place on a weekday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed on a Friday and the Queen on a Thursday. 

Kate's sister Pippa married on May 20 thsi year. 

The wedding falls on the day of the 2018 FA Cup Final.

As President of the Football Association, Harry's older brother the Duke of Cambridge usually attends the high-profile match and presents the trophy.

But this year, William, who is tipped to be Harry's best man, looks likely to be otherwise engaged with wedding duties.

Commenting on the fixture clash, an FA spokesman said: 'Saturday May 19 promises to be a wonderful day with such a special royal occasion being followed by English football's showpiece event, the Emirates FA Cup Final.

'With millions coming together to watch both events at home and around the world, it will be a day to celebrate.' 

Harry and Meghan's engagement was announced by the Prince of Wales on November 27, with Harry saying he was 'thrilled' to be marrying the Suits star – admitting he knew she was 'the one' from 'the first day we met'.

In the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace last month, Meghan showed the world her engagement ring designed by Harry himself - containing two diamonds from Princess Diana's own personal collection set in a gold band.

The prince proposed in early November after getting permission from the Queen and Meghan's parents. They had been engaged for almost a month before announcing the news.

Royal protocol dictated that fifth in line to the throne Harry had to ask his grandmother the Queen for permission to marry and she agreed in the month where she celebrated her own 70th wedding anniversary.

Harry revealed a year ago he had fallen for the actress after a four to six month secret relationship.

The prince and his American fiancee, who divorced her first husband in 2013, will move into Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace next door to his brother William and sister-in-law Kate.

The wedding will come about a month after the due date of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child.

Harry also asked Meghan's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, who divorced when their daughter was six, for her hand in marriage before popping the question. 

Megha