Prince Harry and fiancee Meghan to invite public to wedding celebrations

[March 02, 2018]  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry and his wife-to-be Meghan Markle will invite more than 2,500 members of the public to take part in their wedding day celebrations in May, his office said on Friday.

Harry and U.S. actress Markle are tying the knot at his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle home on May 19 in a ceremony expected to attract attention from around the world.

"Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle will invite 2,640 members of the public to Windsor Castle on their wedding day to watch the arrivals of the bride and groom and their guests and the carriage procession as it departs from the castle," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

The 2,640 invited guests will be made up of people from charities associated with the couple, local school pupils and members of the local community, and 1,200 people from across the country, chosen from a broad range of backgrounds and ages.

"Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their wedding day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too," the statement said.

"This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the bride and groom."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Kate Holton)

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