It’s only natural that every bride wants to look great on her big day, but when your wedding ceremony is going to be watched by millions of people around the world, it’s arguably even more important to make sure you’re happy with your bridal make-up – which is perhaps why Meghan Markle has reportedly enlisted the services of two reliable friends to act as her unofficial make-up artists for the royal wedding.
While Meghan could certainly have her pick of the world’s most in-demand MUAs on May 19th – indeed, there’s previously been some speculation that Princess Diana’s go-to make-up artist Mary Greenwell, who worked with Meghan for her Vanity Fair cover shoot, might be in the running – it seems she’d rather stick with a familiar option, a sentiment which we can totally empathise with (when it comes to your wedding make-up, it’s important to feel like you can be honest about what’s working and what isn’t, after all).
‘She’s got two friends doing it for her from America,’ an insider told the Express. ‘They’re not professionals – just close friends of hers. They are coming to stay at Windsor Castle ahead of the wedding, where they will be put up in the staff accommodation.’
Should she choose not to have a professional make-up artist for her wedding day, Meghan would be following in the footsteps of her future sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge. When she married Prince William in 2011, Kate famously chose to do her own make-up for the Westminster Abbey ceremony, having reportedly sought advice from Bobbi Brown pro artist Hannah Martin and Arabella Preston, founder of skincare brand Votary. However, the rules certainly aren’t set in stone when it comes to royal wedding day beauty – Princess Diana sought the assistance of Barbara Daly when she married Prince Charles – and instead come down to the personal preferences of the bride.
Here's exactly what will happen on the day of the royal wedding...
what will happen at the royal wedding - Grazia
1 of 99:30am: Wedding guests begin to arrive
Wedding guests will begin to arrive – by coach, no less – from 9.30am until 11am, and will walk over to the South Door of St George's Chapel. Prepare to spot assorted Suits stars, Priyanka Chopra, Jessica Mulroney and the Beckhams.
2 of 911:20am: The royal family arrive in Windsor
Keep your eyes peeled from 11.20am as members of the Royal Family start to arrive at the Chapel, some on foot, others by car.
3 of 911:45am: Harry and William will arrive together
Prince Harry will arrive at St George's Chapel by foot, accompanied by his best man the Duke of Cambridge, and will enter via the West Steps. Here, they'll take the time to greet the members of the public gathered in the Castle precinct, including the charity representatives positioned at the Horseshoe Cloister (just outside the Chapel).
4 of 911:50am: Meghan will travel to Windsor Castle with her mother
At around the same time, Meghan and her mother, Doria, will leave their overnight location and travel to the Castle by car, passing through the Long Walk where members of the public are expected to gather. They'll briefly stop at the Castle, allowing Doria to travel on to the Chapel while Meghan is joined by bridesmaids and page boys ahead of her big entrance to the Chapel.
5 of 912pm: Meghan walks down the aisle
After Thomas Markle confirmed that he would no longer be walking his daughter down the aisle, having suffered a heart attack last week, it's assumed that Doria will accompany her daughter.
6 of 912pm: The wedding service begins
The wedding service itself will take about an hour, with a full order of service set to be unveiled to the public on Saturday morning. We already know that Lady Jane Fellowes, Harry's aunt and the elder sister of the late Princess of Wales will give the reading. All three of Diana's siblings will attend the ceremony, and Harry and Meghan have expressed happiness that they'll be able to celebrate her memory on the day.
7 of 91pm: The couple will greet charity representatives
Once they've officially tied the knot, the first thing that Harry and Meghan will do is to greet the 200 representatives from Prince Harry's chosen charities, who'll be gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister. In doing so, the couple are acknowledging how important these organisations will be in their future work; according to the Palace, they are 'delighted that these people who will be such an important part of their official work in the years to come will be the first people they see after the wedding.'
8 of 91:05pm: The carriage procession
Then, close family members will gather on the Chapel's steps to wave the couple off, as it's time for Harry and Meghan to step into their carriage (that's the same Ascot Landau that Pippa Middleton rode in at Will and Kate's wedding, in case you needed a refresher) and embark on a 25-minute procession around the castle and town. Hopefully neither of them have previous history with RSI, because all that royal waving could get very tiring. Meghan and Harry's guests will then file out of the church to catch the start of the carriage procession, before heading on to St George's Hall for the reception.
9 of 97pm: The couple head to Frogmore House
For all the national excitement, the wedding is a private event, and after the carriage procession, there won't be much left for us to see. The last thing that we'll be able to catch will be the moment that the bride and groom leave the Castle for Frogmore House, where the evening reception will take place.