Significance of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s May 19 wedding date

Kensington Palace has announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will wed on May 19, Saturday. Queen Elizabeth will reportedly also attend the service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

“His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle will marry on 19^th May 2018,” the announcement reads. The date breaks with royal tradition as the past weddings took place on a weekday.

It is also unlikely that it wouldn’t be announced as a bank holiday because it falls between two bank holiday weekends: May 9 and May 28. Last month, when asked by journalists if she would “cheer up” the country by announcing a day off on the special day, Prime Minister Theresa May said seeing Harry and Markle in love already cheered people up. In comparison, when Harry’s older brother, Prince William, wed Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011, Friday, it was announced as a bank holiday.

Harry and Markle’s wedding will be held on the same day as the FA Cup Final as well. William, as FA president, normally attends said event but it’s expected that he would skip this one for his little brother.

It’s unknown how well thought out the wedding date was. As the Mirror notes, May 19 is also the day in 1536 that Queen of England Ann Boleyn was beheaded.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Queen Elizabeth will attend her grandson’s nuptials. It is contrary to what was expected of the monarch, who is the head of the Church of England. As Markle is a divorcee, the Queen should not technically support her marriage to Harry. That is why she also did not attend her son Prince Charles and Camilla’s wedding. Both Charles and Camilla were married to other people before.

Nevertheless, Harry and Markle are both serious about their faith, Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, said. Markle, who was raised as a Protestant, will be baptised and confirmed into the Church of England before the wedding.