There’s no denying that Meghan Markle has cemented herself as one of the most powerful royal influencers of all time. It appears that the Duchess of Sussex is significantly impacting other members of the royal family in more ways than one. Now Princess Eugenie, who is the Queen’s granddaughter, appears to be following in the former actresses footsteps, inviting 1,200 lucky members of the public to witness her big day.
The 27-year-old princess – who is ninth in line to the throne – became engaged to her boyfriend of seven years, Jack Brooksbank, in Nicaragua in January this year. The couple is expected to tie the knot on October 12 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle – the same iconic venue where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just recently said “I do.”
Mutual friends, while skiing at the royal hotspot Verbier in Switzerland back in 2010, introduced the duo and the rest was history. While speaking to the BBC’s The One Show, Eugenie admitted that the proposal was ‘a complete surprise,’ explaining that they were watching the sunset over a lake.
‘I was over the moon. [It was a] complete surprise. But it was the perfect moment, we couldn’t be happier.’
In an official statement, Kensington Palace revealed that the pair are “delighted to announce an opportunity for 1200 people from across the United Kingdom to be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle to share the experience of their special day”.
If you’re keen to witness the second highly anticipated royal wedding of the year, the application process is actually quite simple. All you need to do is apply via a ballot at the website, publicevents.royal.uk.
Upon selection, the chosen members of the public will “be able to view the arrival of the congregation and Members of the Royal Family, listen to a live broadcast of the Marriage Service and watch the start of the procession as the couple depart at the end of the Wedding ceremony.”
The palace has also confirmed that, just like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did back in May, the newlyweds will also undertake a short carriage procession after their wedding ceremony. The carriage ride will begin at Windsor Castle, then proceed along High Street and return to the Castle through Cambridge Gate.
Let the countdown commence.