ET breaks down all the latest updates from the couple ahead of their May 19 nuptials!
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be tying the knot at St. George's Chapel this spring, and each and every week, ET will be breaking down all the latest updates as they gear up for their May 19 nuptials.
BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK
The invitations to the most highly anticipated event of the year are officially in the mail! On Thursday, Kensington Palace announced that approximately 600 guests have been invited to both the service and a lunchtime reception at St. George's Hall, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Approximately 200 guests have also been invited to the reception at Frogmore House, which will take place later in the evening and be hosted by Prince Charles.
In more exciting news, Meghan and Harry have chosen the lucky baker who will be making their cake! According to a series of tweets from Kensington Palace earlier this week, pastry chef Claire Ptak, the owner of Violet Bakery in London, England, will be creating a dessert that's perfect for their spring wedding.
The cake will feature a lemon elderflower flavor that will incorporate the "bright flavours" of spring. It will also be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.
And Claire is truly the perfect pick! Like Meghan, she is originally from California. Before opening up Violet Bakery in 2010, she got her start as a pastry chef under Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Meghan has actually been a fan of the pastry chef for some time. She once interviewed her for her lifestyle website, The Tig, before she took it down as part of royal etiquette.
According to other reports, Prince Harry isn't planning on signing a prenuptial agreement. Fox News reports that the 33-year-old royal, who has an estimated $54 million fortune, is determined that his marriage will last, and is therefore forgoing the contract. His brother, Prince William, also refused to sign a prenup before he tied the knot with Kate Middleton in 2011.
WEDDING COUNTDOWN
Meghan and Harry will officially be saying "I do" in:
OUT AND ABOUT
OK, so Meghan didn't technically make a public appearance this week, but we were pretty stoked to hear this news! Madame Tussauds revealed on Wednesday that the future royal is getting her very own wax figure at their Times Square museum in New York City. According to a press release, the figure will be unveiled sometime in early May, and will be placed next to the royal likeness of Prince Harry. Additionally, visitors to the museum who are named Meghan or Harry will be able to see the attraction for free when they present their ID any time before the couple's royal wedding.
"We couldn’t think of a more quintessential location to celebrate this momentous occasion than the Big Apple,” Christine Haughney, Regional Head of Marketing at Merlin Entertainments, said in a statement. "The excitement surrounding the royal wedding stretches across the world and we can’t wait to give our fans a chance to ‘meet’ Meghan in our attraction this spring."
ROYAL RUMOR ROUNDUP
This week, the rumor mill has Meghan missing social media and her gal pals.
"She is missing her friends and also the wider circle she had on social media,” sources revealed to the Daily Star this week. “She’s finding things harder than she thought and it will take time to adjust."
As we know, Meghan deleted her Twitter and Instagram, as well as her lifestyle blog, The Tig, ahead of getting engaged to Harry. ET caught up with royal expert Katie Nicholl, author of Harry: Life, Loss, and Love, on Thursday where she mentioned that Meghan is very social but has a selective group of friends, which is more extensive but has tightened recently. She’ll still have girls' nights and will entertain, but her life will indeed change.
Additionally, another rumor that has made its way online is that Harry and Meghan are eyeing a romantic getaway trip to Ireland after their wedding day. A source told the Irish Daily Mail that the trip is expected to be just a short few days and will "possibly be the first foreign trip after their wedding."
RATHER REGAL LOOKS
Spring has sprung and Kate traded her usual blue attire for a stunning mint ensemble while hosting a symposium on Wednesday.
The gorgeous, expecting mother looked radiant in a pastel green Jenny Packham coat that featured a bow at the collar and gold buttons on the sleeves, and a matching dress. She paired the look with beige Gianvito Rossi pumps, silver Kiki McDonough earrings and a Loeffler Randall clutch.
SERVIN' UP SUITS
After what seems like forever, we're finally less than a week away from Suits returning to USA Network for its second half of the seventh season, which will mark Meghan's last as Rachel Zane. Creator Aaron Korsh took part in a Twitter Q&A earlier this week, where he teased what's to come in the next few episodes.
When asked if the end of season seven will be sad, he said, "For me it is not sad. I can't say how people will react but I would say it is emotional but not sad."
He also opened up about what the last day on set was like for Meghan and Patrick J. Adams, who plays Rachel's fiancé, Mike Ross. "It was nice," Korsh shared. "Though their last days were on different days. Patrick worked right up to the very last minute..."
The show returns March 28 at 9 p.m. ET, and we can't wait to see what happens leading up to Rachel and Mike's highly anticipated royal wedding.
SPARKLE LIKE MARKLE
We've already tried Meghan's favorite Pilates class, attempted the "Duchess Slant," followed her fashion tips and learned proper princess etiquette. So this week, we decided to take it up a notch and try out a few of Meghan's favorite recipes.
From "Grandma Markle's" signature apple butter toast to refreshing watermelon salad and roast chicken, ET's breaking down the best Meghan-approved recipes, which you should totally try out on your own if you're hosting a royal wedding viewing party.
Click HERE to see all the mouth-watering recipes we re-created, complete with reviews from ETonline foodies!
NEXT IN LINE
So what were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge up to this week?
After attending the St. Patrick's Day Parade together at Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, West London, over the weekend, the couple went their separate ways. Prince William took over for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and hosted the Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The knighting ceremony recognizes people around the world who have made special contributions to society. Among those who received knighthood was Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who was honored for his contributions to music.
Meanwhile, Kate attended a symposium on children’s mental health on Wednesday. "I really feel so passionately about the importance of early intervention… providing children in their earliest years with social and emotional security builds strong foundations which last a lifetime," Kate said during her speech at the event.
In her speech today, The Duchess said "I really feel so passionately about the importance of early intervention… providing children in their earliest years with social and emotional security builds strong foundations which last a lifetime" pic.twitter.com/1HPFSieFHx
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 21, 2018
On Thursday, the couple reunited to celebrate the Commonwealth. The Duke and Duchess met athletes supported by Team Sports Aid, some of whom aim to compete in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. They also helped to prepare the Commonwealth Big Lunch at St. Lukes Community Center.
This also marked Kate's final day of public events before going on maternity leave as she awaits the arrival of her and William's third child.
Next week will bring a slew of new royal wedding updates -- and hopefully another Meghan sighting! Keep up with all of ET's coverage of the royal wedding right here as we count down to May 19.
For now, that's a wrap on this week's royals update. Let us know on Twitter (@desireemurphy_ and @lizcalvario) what other regal news you'd like us to cover in the future, and be sure to join us next week for another roundup!
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