Have you heard? There’s a royal wedding on Saturday.
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Australia, and quite possibly parts of the UK and beyond, seems split between caring deeply and, frankly, not giving a Royal fig.
And that’s fine. If you’re interested, why not drink it all?
Here’s some light reading – from Meghan’s family background to wedding day wardrobe speculation to the floral arrangements those in the know are expecting.
And if that’s not enough … scroll to the bottom for the quick quiz!
Will Meghan's dress be daring or demure?
A ball gown fit for a princess? Or a sleek, sexy Hollywood silhouette? Sleeves or off-the-shoulder?
In the countdown to May 19 when Meghan Markle weds Prince Harry at Windsor Castle, speculation continues to grow about the former actor's wedding dress. Even Australian designers are having a guess at the dress which will shape global bridal fashions.
From Hollywood to Royal Family
She’s gone from being an actress to joining the Royal family. That’s just life as it is for Meghan Markle. How much do you know about Prince Harry’s wife-to-be?
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Meghan moves from starlet to royal style
Mini skirts, crop tops and fitted dresses have given way to tailored suits and elegant separates as Meghan Markle prepares to become a duchess. Since her engagement to Prince Harry in November, the American actresses' wardrobe has undergone the royal treatment, with hemlines lengthened and conservative looks favoured.
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Meghan might wear Aussie design down aisle
As the world waits to see Meghan Markle's wedding dress, an Australian design duo could be busy at work on the gown which will shape bridal trends for years to come. Australian-born, London-based designers Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo of Ralph & Russo are rumoured to be creating Meghan's wedding dress for her May 19 nuptials to Prince Harry.
Harry likely to don uniform on wedding day
He's courted controversy with his outfits in the past but Prince Harry seems most likely to toe the family line and don a military uniform for his wedding to Meghan Markle. The 33-year-old playboy-turned-committed prince resigned from the British Army in 2015 but will likely follow in the sartorial footsteps of his brother, father and grandfather and sport regimentals for his May 19 nuptials.
A guide to Meghan Markle's family
Meghan Markle's family have been under intense media scrutiny since she announced her engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017. Her relatives are in many ways unlikely in-laws for Britain's royal family: Markle's parents are divorced, her half-siblings opinionated, and her father once declared bankruptcy.
Peonies and white roses for royal wedding
St George's Chapel will be decked out with white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves for the royal wedding. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have chosen floral designer Philippa Craddock to create the in-season displays for their big day.
London baker gets started on royal cake
Preparations appear to be underway on the buttercream covered organic lemon elderflower wedding cake being prepared by a east London baker for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Pastry chef Claire Ptak posted the words "and so it begins" on her Instagram account on Tuesday alongside a photograph of six crates of lemons.
Meghan expected to don Welsh gold ring
While everyone expects Prince Harry to slip a Welsh gold wedding ring on the finger of Meghan Markle during their nuptials, he is unlikely to wear one himself. Royal wedding rings worn by brides are traditionally made from Welsh gold but very few men in the monarchy have chosen to don a wedding band.
Tradition for royal wedding bouquet
Tradition dictates that a royal bride's bouquet contains a sprig of myrtle. The custom dates back to Queen Victoria's time when the monarch's daughter, Princess Victoria, carried it among her bridal flowers in 1858.
Royal retreat of Windsor ready for wedding
Few towns are as stereotypically English as Windsor, the bucolic riverside locale where Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle will get married on May 19. And few towns are as pleasing when a warm spring sun bakes off the morning mist. Even the plump white swans on the Thames seem relieved that the long, hard winter is over.
Charles and Di style wedding not for Harry
A fairytale frock and a clutch of royals is probably all Prince Harry's wedding will have in common with the monumental nuptials of his parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The "wedding of the century" in 1981 drew a global TV audience of 750 million, with two million people turning out on the streets of London to cheer the future king and his young bride.
Politics at heart of royal marriages past
Prince Harry may be marrying an American Hollywood princess but unlike his ancestors theirs is a love match rather than a political one. For centuries members of England's royal family were strategically married off to European royals with the aim of cementing allegiances, mainly to help avoid war but also to reap economic benefits.
Meghan's first wedding a relaxed affair
Staged on a Jamaican beach, with guests dancing the night away barefoot, Meghan Markle's first wedding could not have been more different from her impending royal nuptials. After dating for more than five years, Ms Markle and American producer Trevor Engelson tied the knot in front of dozens of guests in 2011 at the tourist hotspot of Ocho Rios on the island's north coast. The venue is a far cry from Windsor Castle's medieval St George's Chapel.
The modern royal family: how well do you know them?
Are you a right Royal expert or a bit of a casual observer? Take the quiz here.
