The wedding of  Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle will take place next May in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, a venue with royal associations going back centuries.
The fifth-in-line to the British throne, 33, and the American actress, 36, previously best known for her starring role in the TV legal drama Suits announced their engagement on Monday, sparking a trans-Atlantic media frenzy.
The couple have chosen to marry in Windsor, west of London, because it is “a special place for them”, Harry’s spokesman told reporters.
Queen Elizabeth, the prince’s 91-year-old grandmother, will attend the ceremony.
“The wedding will be a moment of fun and joy and reflect the characters of the bride and groom,” he said.
The couple’s first official engagement together will take place on Friday in Nottingham, where they will raise awareness of charities working to prevent HIV/AIDS and youth crime.
“Prince Harry has spent a significant amount of private and public time in (Nottingham) and is looking forward to introducing Markle to a community that has become very special to him,” Kensington Palace, Harry’s official residence, said in a statement.
Markle intends to become a British citizen, though she will retain her US citizenship while she goes through the process.
“ Markle will be compliant with all immigration requirements at all times,” the spokesman said.
The Gothic St George’s Chapel is located in the grounds of Windsor Castle, which has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.
Within the chapel are the tombs of 10 sovereigns, including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour, and Charles I.
In more recent memory, it was the venue of the wedding of Harry’s uncle Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, and of a service of prayer and dedication to mark the wedding of Harry’s father, Prince Charles, to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.