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10 things we already know about Princess Eugenie’s wedding

Yes, folks, it’s October and that can only mean one thing in the royal world. Well, two if we get a baby Sussex announcement but let’s not be greedy. October means the second royal wedding of 2018. Princess Eugenie of York will wed Jack Brooksbank in just a few days time and in anticipation of the big day, Royal Central is rounding up everything about the event so far. Grab your hat, put up the bunting and get wedding fever- here are ten things we already known about Eugenie’s marriage.

1. We’re Windsor Bound Again

This year, all royal wedding roads lead to Windsor. Eugenie, like her cousin Prince Harry, will say ‘I do’ at St. George’s Chapel in the precincts of Windsor. The chapel, which dates back to the 14th century, has room for around 800 guests and has been the setting for major royal weddings since the 19th century. We last saw it decked out in bridal blooms on May 19th this year for the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

2. Eugenie is joining an exclusive royal club

The ninth in line to the throne is getting married on Friday October 12th, a rare royal bride for this autumnal month. The last time the House of Windsor gathered for a major marriage in October was back in 1993 when the Queen’s nephew, now Earl Snowdon, wed Serena Stanhope in London. Other recent royal October brides include Luxembourg’s Princess Stephanie who wed Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume in civil and religious ceremonies in 2012 and Spain’s Infanta Cristina, sister of King Felipe VI, who married Inaki Urdangarin in October 1997.

3. A bevy of royal attendants

In perhaps the least surprising news about this royal wedding so far, Eugenie recently confirmed to Vogue magazine that her big sister, Princess Beatrice, will be her Maid of Honour. The sisters are famously very close indeed. There is also a lot of speculation that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be pageboy and bridesmaid (is it even possible to have a royal wedding now without these two doing the honours?) while other names in the frame to follow Eugenie down the aisle include Maud, eldest daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife, Sophie.

4. Celebrity guests

We expect a right royal turnout for a regal marriage but Eugenie and Jack are expected to follow in Harry and Meghan’s footsteps and fill St. George’s with friends including some very famous names indeed. George and Amal Clooney are thought to be on the list as Jack Brooksbank is a brand ambassador for the actor’s tequila company. Model Cara Delevigne and singer, Ellie Goulding, are both friends of Eugenie and are rumoured to be getting their hats ready right now, too.

5. In the royal boxes

The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to join the Queen at St. George’s to see their third granddaughter get married even though Prince Philip hasn’t been seen in public much since retiring from official duties in August 2017. The Duke of York will walk his daughter down the aisle while his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York will be back in the heart of the Royal Family to see her younger child wed. And we can expect a big turnout from the House of Windsor as they get wedding fever for the second time in six months.

6. Cheering the happy couple

As well as the royals and celebs inside St. George’s Chapel, the newlyweds will share their special day with 1,200 other invited guests. Tickets to be inside the castle grounds to see the couple and their guests as they arrive and depart were distributed after a ballot while Eugenie and Jack, like Harry and Meghan, are also inviting those associated with charities close to their hearts to be in the Windsor grounds on their wedding day. Like members of the Royal Household staff and other people living in the castle precincts, they will get a close up view of the whole event. However, BBC viewers won’t be watching as the channel has decided not to broadcast the ceremony.

7. Some of the Queen’s horses

There are other chances for royal fans to join in the wedding celebrations. The newly married couple will enjoy a carriage procession through Windsor immediately after their ceremony. Eugenie and Jack’s tour of the town will be more limited than the one carried out by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back in May with their carriage heading out into Windsor at Castle Hill before travelling along Windsor High Street and then returning to the royal residence via Cambridge Gate. The security element of this procession, along with that at the service itself, is put at around £2 million and there have been calls for that bill to be met by the royals rather than coming from the public purse.

8. And the bride wore…

Well, if we knew that we might well have told you already but while we won’t find out all the details of this royal wedding dress until October 12th itself, the bride has actually given away a clue or two already. Eugenie told The One Show, just after her engagement, that there would be ‘no meringue shoulders’ while Vogue was told just weeks ago that the designer is definitely ‘British based’.

Just about every royal watcher in town expects this bridal outfit to be completed with the York tiara, the all diamond diadem worn by Eugenie’s mother at her own marriage. And while Eugenie’s bouquet will remain secret until the wedding day, too, we do know it will contain a sprig of myrtle, according to royal tradition, while no one would be surprised if the white roses of York also featured in its design.

9. Party time

It’s expected that the Queen will host the reception immediately after the marriage of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank when their guests will celebrate with them at Windsor. There will also be an evening party, hosted by the bride’s parents. The later party is believed to be set for the Royal Lodge at Windsor which has been Prince Andrew’s official country home since 2004.

10. Social media special

Royal watchers might well want to head to Instagram right now as Princess Eugenie has been sharing some of her excitement on her official account there. As September drew to a close, the bride shared a photo from a feature piece on her in Harper’s Bazaar last year with the caption ”pre-wedding vibes!”. OK, we don’t expect Eugenie to post pics of her dress there (we’ll still be checking on a regular basis) but the princess has a real personal touch to her social media presence so we could well see some more pre ceremony happiness making its way online. And given just how very, very excited Sarah, Duchess of York got on her official Twitter and Instagram accounts when Eugenie and Jack announced their engagement back in January, the chances of getting to October 12th without another wedding post from Fergie have got to be slim. It’s a royal wedding for the 21st century indeed.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.