Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are inviting 2,640 members of the public to the grounds of Windsor Castle on their wedding day - but the invitation stops short of a slice of the royal cake.

The commoners, 1,200 of whom will be chosen “from every corner of the United Kingdom”, will get to watch the arrival of the bride and groom as well as their wedding guests, and then the carriage procession as it leaves after the service.

The couple said they want members of the public “to feel part of the celebrations too”. They will not attend the ceremony inside St George’s chapel at Windsor Castle on 19 May, or the reception.

Of the invitees, 1,200 will be nominated by nine regional lord lieutenant offices. Lord lieutenants are the queen’s personal representatives in each county of the UK. 

A statement from Kensington Palace said: “The couple has asked that the people chosen are from a broad range of backgrounds and ages, including young people who have shown strong leadership, and those who have served their communities.”

All of the tickets will be named, preventing anyone trying to make money by selling them.

In addition to those nominated by the lords lieutenant, there will be:

200 people from a range of charities and organisations with which Harry and Markle have a close association.

 610 Windsor Castle community members, including members of the St George’s Chapel community.

 530 members of the royal households and crown estate.

 100 pupils from two schools close to the castle - the Royal and St George’s.

The Royal is a Church of England school for pupils from four to nine years old that was built to educate the children of staff employed by the royal family. St George’s school is an independent prep school, originally founded to educate the choristers of St George’s chapel. It charges up to £16,000 a year.

Source: The Guardian