16 May, 2018
Britain's Prince Harry and American actor Meghan Markle are set to marry Saturday in the British city of Windsor. For many fans, it is a fairy-tale romance.
The 36-year-old Markle does not fit the traditional image of a British princess, said Richard Fitzwilliams, an expert on the royal family.
"Meghan is an American biracial divorcee who is an activist, a feminist and former actress."
In the past, those facts might have barred her from marrying Prince Harry.
"Now, they're being positively welcomed."
Markle and Harry, who is 33, began dating in 2016. They reportedly met in Canada, although not much is known about their early relationship. The couple announced their engagement last November at London's Kensington Palace, where Harry and his older brother were raised.
The wedding details
Invitations were sent to about 600 of the couple's friends and family. Many government officials are also invited.
Weather experts have said they expect a mostly sunny day for the royal wedding.
Sunshine would be helpful, as the couple has chosen to ride in an open vehicle, a carriage, for the parade following the ceremony.
Four horses will pull the carriage from Windsor Castle through the town center and back for the wedding celebration. Thousands of people are expected to line the sides of the road and watch.
Wedding press
Around 80 international broadcasters, including some from Australia, New Zealand and Japan, are expected to report on the wedding. More than 5,000 British and foreign media and support employees have permission to cover the action in Windsor. The town is a little less than 200 kilometers from London.
Millions of people around the world are expected to watch the day's events on television or online. Many plan to hold or attend parties to watch the press coverage.
But, Harry is believed to have a deep mistrust of the media. His mother, Princess Diana, died of injuries from a car crash in 1997. A news photographer on a motorcycle was chasing the car she and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayyad, were in. Fayyad was killed as well.
Duncan Larcombe, writer of the book "Prince Harry: The Inside Story," told Town and Country magazine: "In Harry's mind, it was the press that killed his mother."
Commemorative items are seen for sale ahead of the upcoming wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle, on Oxford Street in London, Britain, May 11, 2018.