Royal wedding: how to spot Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Windsor

If you didn’t receive an invitation to the royal wedding of the year, you still have a chance to see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in person on their special day.

The couple, who have said they want members of the public to feel part of the celebrations, will tie the knot on Saturday in Windsor, before a carriage procession through the town.

Here’s what you need to know:

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What time is the royal wedding?

The bride is due to arrive at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle at midday. The couple will then ride through the town in a horse-drawn carriage from 1pm to 1.30pm. There are also activities along the procession route for visitors between 2pm and 5pm.

What is the royal wedding procession route?

The carriage will go through Castle Hill, High Street, Sheet Street, Kings Road, Albert Road and the Long Walk. There will be viewing areas along the course, as well as large screens on the Long Walk showing the service. Anticipating early arrivals, the council has warned that tents are not permitted anywhere along the route, but that folding chairs and “some form of cover” is allowed. There will be refreshments, toilets and first aid providers on the day.

How do I get to Windsor?

A visit to Windsor this weekend will need preparation. Drivers must pre-book parking and are advised to allow extra time for their journey. Road closures will begin at 10pm on Friday 18 May, meaning several town centre car parks and on-street parking will be suspended. Other pre-bookable spaces are available at the Review Ground, Windsor Racecourse (for the park and float service) and Windsor Boys’ School. Spaces start at £30. Visitors are advised to leave up to 20 minutes to get to the designated spectator areas.

If you are travelling by train, Windsor has two railway stations: Windsor & Eton Central (Great Western Railway) and Windsor & Eton Riverside (South Western Railways). Both rail companies are putting on extra carriages but, again, visitors are advised to leave plenty of time for travelling. “There will be queuing systems in place at a number of train stations on the network where visitors heading to Windsor are likely to be changing trains,” says the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The final train out of Windsor and Eton Riverside is at 10.53pm and the final train out of Windsor and Eton Central leaves at 12.03am.

Local buses going to and from the town are likely to change on the day. More details can be found here.