18 May 2018

Royal wedding: Prince Charles to walk bride down the aisle

9:15 pm on 18 May 2018

Prince Charles will walk Meghan Markle down the aisle of St George's Chapel tomorrow night, as her father will not attend.

A visitor carries a bag featuring Britain's Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle as the country prepares for the Royal Wedding.

A visitor carries a bag featuring Britain's Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle as the country prepares for the Royal Wedding. Photo: AFP

Final preparations are taking place on the eve of Saturday's royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Ms Markle released a statement yesterday confirming her father would not attend the wedding and saying she hoped he could be given space to focus on his health.

Kensington Palace has now confirmed that Ms Markle asked the prince of wales to walk her down the aisle, and Prince Charles was pleased to welcome her to the family in this way.

Ms Markle and Prince Harry were in Windsor today to prepare for the big day.

Rehearsals took place for the ceremony and for the military procession around the town.

The couple were seen being driven along the procession route, accompanied by a police escort.

Other members of the Royal Family are also in Windsor ahead of the wedding, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Members of the Household Cavalry take part in a rehearsal for the wedding procession outside Windsor Castle

Members of the Household Cavalry take part in a rehearsal for the wedding procession outside Windsor Castle Photo: AFP

Ms Markle's mother met William and Catherine and their eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at Windsor Castle on Thursday afternoon.

And she took tea with Prince Charles and Camilla at Clarence House in London on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, further details of the wedding cake have been revealed.

Its baker, Claire Ptak, said it would be presented in a "non-traditional" way, displayed in a special "installation".

NOwner of Violet Bakery in Hackney, east London, Claire Ptak, and head baker Izaak Adams, put the finishing touches on the wedding cake

NOwner of Violet Bakery in Hackney, east London, Claire Ptak and head baker Izaak Adams, put the finishing touches on the wedding cake Photo: AFP

The layered lemon and elderflower cake will be served to 600 guests at the afternoon reception at Windsor Castle.

The owner of Violet Bakery in east London described the cake as "a slight shift from tradition".

She has been baking with the help of a team of six people for five days in the Buckingham Palace kitchens.

Some 200 Amalfi lemons are being used in the recipe, as well as 10 bottles of cordial made using elderflower from the Queen's Sandringham estate.

She has not made a back-up cake in case of a disaster - "It's cake. It can't go that wrong," she said.

Mr Markle had been due to arrive in the UK in the days before the wedding but became caught up in controversy over her father's apparent staging of photographs with the paparazzi.

Ms Markle will have 10 bridesmaids and pageboys, who are all under the age of eight.

She decided against having a maid of honour, saying she wanted to avoid choosing between her closest friends.

-BBC