Meghan Markle's dad will walk her down the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry
Meghan Markle's dad, Thomas Markle, will walk her down the aisle at St. George's Chapel when she weds Prince Harry, Kensington Palace announced today.
Her mother, Doria Ragland, will accompany her by car from her overnight location to Windsor Castle on the day of the wedding, the Palace also announced.
It was important to Meghan Markle, 36, that her parents, who are divorced, each had a role sharing in her special day.
Thomas Markle will travel from his home in Mexico to the United Kingdom the week of the May 19 wedding. It will be the first time Harry, 33, will meet his future father-in-law.
Ragland, a Los Angeles-based yoga instructor and social worker, will also travel to the U.K. the week before the wedding, according to Kensington Palace.
It will be an opportunity for Ragland and Thomas Markle to meet Harry's relatives for the first time, including Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William and Princess Kate.
The important role Meghan Markle’s parents will play in her wedding day was just one of the many details shared by Kensington Palace today as the anticipation builds for the couple’s May 19 wedding.
Take a look below at the new information revealed today about Meghan Markle and Harry's wedding day.
Prince Louis will not be at the wedding, but his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be there to celebrate their uncle's wedding day, and are expected to serve as page boy and bridesmaid, respectively. Louis, the third child of Prince William and Princess Kate, was born on April 23.
Harry and Meghan will delay their honeymoon and do a public engagement the week after the wedding. They will take a honeymoon sometime thereafter, before resuming a busy schedule of engagements for the rest of the year. The couple will not do any public engagements between now and their wedding day.
Princess Diana's memory will be kept alive at the wedding through the presence of her three siblings. Lady Jane Fellowes, Diana's sister, will deliver the reading at the wedding.
Meghan will not have a maid of honor, choosing instead to have bridesmaids and page boys, all children, by her side at her wedding. Meghan did not want to single out one of her close circle of friends.
Harry has already chosen his brother, William, as his best man.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex: A life in photos
Meghan Markle became a member of the British royal family after marrying Prince Harry.
Harry and William will arrive by foot to St. George's Chapel, entering through the chapel's west steps. The route means Harry and William will walk past the crowds gathered outside the chapel.
Meghan will also enter the chapel through the west steps, joined by some of the bridesmaids and page boys.
The couple will not have a rehearsal dinner the night before their wedding.
The order of the service will be published online on the wedding day so the public can follow along.
Harry and Meghan will meet with 200 representatives of charities in the Horseshoe Cloister at St. George's Chapel following their wedding service. The charities are all ones for which Harry has served as patron.
Harry and Meghan will be waved off on their carriage ride by members of the Royal Family. The guests at the wedding service will observe the send off of the carriage procession.
Royal watchers will see a "posed moment" from Harry and Meghan before they leave the chapel. No word yet on whether there will be a traditional kiss for onlookers.
Royal watchers may also get a second glimpse of Harry and Meghan when they depart Windsor Castle at 7 p.m., local time for Frogmore House, the site of the private reception hosted by Prince Charles.
That's not all because Kensington Palace will continue to share more details on behalf of Harry and Meghan as their wedding day approaches.
Here are three more details we can expect to learn in the next two weeks.
1. The bridesmaids and page boys in Meghan and Harry's wedding party.
2. The entertainment at the Frogmore House reception.
3. More details on the flowers that will fill the church and an update from Claire Ptak, the baker who will make the wedding cake.
