Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have set a date for their spring wedding, announcing they will say “I do” on May 19, 2018.
The couple announced their engagement in November after 18 months of dating and later revealed they had chosen St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle for their ceremony.
While the couple could have chosen one of many brilliant spring Saturdays for their special day, they have somewhat cheekily picked the same day as the FA Cup final — the biggest day of the year for football (soccer) fans in Britain.
The date clash will no doubt draw some of the media attention away from the couple on the day, with millions of football fanatics expected to tune in to the famous decider match.
However, it does pose a bit of a problem for Harry’s brother and best man (officially known as a ‘Supporter’ under royal custom), Prince William, who is president of the FA Cup and traditionally presents the trophy to the winner.
The Palace is yet to say if William will skip the final this year and who will replace him.
The wedding date announcement follows news the Queen will attend her grandson’s ceremony after speculation she may skip the official service and only attend the reception because of Meghan’s status as a divorcee.
Meghan was previously married to American producer Trevor Engelson from 2011-2013.
The Church of England, of which the Queen is the head, frowns upon divorce and remarriage. It was for this reason the Queen skipped Prince Charles civil ceremony with Camilla and only attended the reception instead.
However, Her Majesty’s bond with Prince Harry appears to be far too strong to let even faith get in the way of witnessing the special occasion.
Harry has spoken in the past about his admiration for his grandmother, and the Queen seems to love her grandson’s cheeky personality, even appearing in a tongue-in-cheek video with him ahead of the 2016 Invictus Games, sending a message to then president and first lady, Barack and Michelle Obama.
The Palace is expected to release further information about Harry and Meghan’s wedding in the coming months.