Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Pick a Date and Venue for Their Royal Wedding

Fifth in line to the throne and American actress will tie the knot this spring

By Samantha Schnurr Nov 28, 2017 3:30 PMTags

Now that Meghan Markle has accepted Prince Harry's proposal, the wedding planning has officially begun!

Of course, no nuptials can take place without a date and location. Fortunately, the future bride and groom already have those sorted out. The royal and his American leading lady will tie the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle this May. 

The 14th century chapel has been home to a long line of royal weddings beginning in 1863 and continuing into 2005, where Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his stepmother, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, received a blessing on their wedding day. According to Kensington Palace, the Royal Family will pay for the wedding. Meanwhile, the wedding also seems to avoid any timing conflict with the birth of Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's third child, due in April 2018

"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are extremely grateful for the warm public response following yesterday's announcement of their engagement," his communications secretary said Tuesday. "In a happy moment in their lives, it means a great deal to them that so many people throughout the U.K., the Commonwealth, and around the world are celebrating with them."

Windsor "is a very special place" for Harry, as he and Markle "regularly spent time there over the last year and a half. They are grateful to The Queen for granting permission for the use of the Chapel. The Chapel itself has centuries of Royal tradition and hosted the weddings of many members of The Royal Family. Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives together as a married couple."

"The couple, of course, want the day to be a special, celebratory moment for their friends and family," Harry's communications secretary continued. "They also want the day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too and are currently working through ideas for how this might be achieved. This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom." To no one's surprise, Harry and his bride-to-be will be "leading the planning process for all aspects of the wedding."

Chris Ison/PA Wire

Though no specific date for the vows in May has been announced just yet, Markle is busy adapting to her future life as a member of the royal family. During a briefing by Kensington Palace on Tuesday, it was confirmed that the actress intends to become a citizen of the United Kingdom and wants to travel around the country and learn about her new home.

Additionally, she will become a patron of The Royal Foundation along with Prince William, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Prince Harry and will be baptized and confirmed at some point before the wedding.  

While there are currently no plans for Prince Harry to visit the United States, Markle will be heading back to America to visit with family and friends in the coming months. 

Though the couple has a great deal on their royal plates right now, fans of the pair are already wondering when they will start a family. However, the two made it clear they must focus on the first task at hand—getting down the aisle. 

As Prince Harry said during their first joint interview on Monday, "I think one step at a time and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future." 

We can already hear the wedding bells!