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Staff at Windsor Castle make final preparations for royal wedding

2:19
Sky News
Windsor Castle chefs prepare for royal wedding
David Parker/AFP/Getty Images
ByJulia Macfarlane
May 14, 2018, 9:54 PM

London -- This week marks the final countdown for the team of royal chefs and staff at Windsor Castle, who are meticulously preparing a lavish evening for hundreds of guests at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding on Saturday.

Six hundred people are invited to the wedding ceremony, and Queen Elizabeth will host a daytime reception at St George’s Hall at the Castle.

The team of around 30 royal chefs, led by Mark Flanagan, are already busy in the kitchens at Windsor.

The Royal Kitchens at Windsor Castle begin Preparations for the wedding banquet for the upcoming marriage ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, May 10, 2018, in Windsor, England.
David Parker/Getty Images

He talked to Sky News about how his staff is preparing for the big event.

“We’re breaking into smaller teams, getting all the asparagus peeled, the vegetables prepared, that sort of thing in advance. So on the actual day it’s just the minimal amount of cooking and maximum amount of presentation time,” he explained.

Royal Palaces head chef Mark Flanagan and Pastry chef Selwyn Stoby begin preparations for the wedding banquet for the marriage ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Royal Kitchen at Windsor Castle, May 10, 2018, in Windsor, England.
David Parker/Getty Images

The royal couple have also been heavily involved in the planning of the event.

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“They’ve tasted everything, they’ve been involved in every detail. We’ve been really fortunate with the date of the wedding…all the British vegetables are just coming into season. The couple wanted us to make sure that we used all of the local, seasonal produce as much as possible throughout their menu,” he said.

A general view shows St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, west of London, Feb. 11, 2018, where Britain's Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle will hold a reception after their wedding May 19, 2018.
Dominic Lipinski/AFP/Getty Images, FILE

Added pastry chef Selwyn Stoby: “You don’t get many opportunities in your lifetime to do a royal wedding so this is very very special. The care, the attention, the details and everything - it really is very exciting.”

The kitchens at Windsor Castle are thought to be the oldest working kitchens in the country, with a history stretching back to the 14th Century and the reign of Edward III.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Catalyst Inc, a next generation science park, to meet young entrepreneurs and innovators, March 23, 2018, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images, FILE

More than 30 monarchs later, they continue to serve the royal family under Queen Elizabeth II.

Following the wedding ceremony, a more intimate evening dinner, hosted by Prince Charles, will take place at the nearby Frogmore House, with a different catering company providing the menu.

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