London: Around 600 guests will soon be handed out official invitations for the May 19 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Kensington Palace confirmed the news on Thursday.
The invitations, made using American ink on English card and printed by Barnard and Westwood, also reveal the dress code for guests attending the wedding ceremony – uniform, morning coat or lounge suit, or day dress with a hat.
Prince Harry, who was a former soldier in the British army and is now the Captain General of Royal Marines, will likely don a uniform for the ceremony.
The Kensington Palace shared some moments of the printing process of the wedding cards by using a machine from the 1930s on Twitter.
The invitations follow many years of Royal tradition and have been made by @BarnardWestwood. They feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink. pic.twitter.com/cd7LBmRJxO
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2018
The invites feature a three-feathered badge of Prince Harry’s late father Prince Charles in gold ink, with the rest of the words printed in black.
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The cards are “burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge”.
“Invitations to the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have been issued in the name of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales,” the palace said in a statement.
Barnard and Westwood’s managing director Austen Kopley said he was thrilled and honoured to be making the soon-to-be royal couple’s wedding cards.
According to Sky News, The opportunity to print the invites was given to Lottie Small, who had recently finished her apprenticeship with the printers. She used the machine, which she nicknamed ‘Maude’, to print every invitation.
Using American ink on English card, the invitations are printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge. pic.twitter.com/gQpC6tDot0
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2018
The invitations read, “His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales KG KT requests the pleasure of the company of……. at the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales with Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday 19th May, 2018 at 12 Noon followed by a reception at Windsor Castle.”
The Kensington Palace confirmed that the royal wedding service would be held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, UK.
A further 200 guests will join Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at an evening reception at Frogmore House, about half a mile south of Windsor Castle.
Frogmore House has been a Royal residence since 1792. This is the venue where Prince Harry and Markle posed for their official engagement photos in November last year.
The wedding service will be conducted by The Dean of Windsor, The Rt Revd David Conner. The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revd and Rt Hon. Justin Welby will officiate the couple to make their marriage vows.
“At 1 pm, immediately after the service, Prince Harry and Ms Markle, who will receive new titles reflecting their married status on the day, will leave Windsor Castle by carriage, via Castle Hill, along the High Street and through Windsor Town before returning along the Long Walk for their reception,” a spokesperson said.
“They hope this short journey will provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day,” he added.
On Tuesday, Markle and Prince Harry opted for “a lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavours of spring,” and “will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers,” according to Marie Claire, a UK magazine, instead of the traditional British fruitcake. They also picked Claire Ptak as their royal wedding cake chef.