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 in one week, and ET is breaking down all the latest updates as they gear up for their May 19 nuptials.
BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK
The excitement is in the air, as Meghan's family and friends are starting to make their way to London. Just in time for Mother's Day, Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, arrived in England earlier this week.
A source told ET on Thursday that Meghan has "normal last-minute nerves" ahead of her nuptials, but is happy to have her mother by her side in the days before she says "I do." According to our source, this is the first time Doria will see Meghan's dress, as Meghan just had her final fittings a week and a half ago. The Los Angeles native's father, Thomas Markle, is also expected to arrive by the weekend.
"Doria will be here to help Meghan relax in the last days before she becomes a [royal]," the source said, adding that one of Meghan's closest pals, Jessica Mulroney, will arrive next week to "help Meghan out with last-minute touches ahead of her big day."
WEDDING COUNTDOWN
So, how many days until the royal wedding? Meghan and Harry will officially be tying the knot in:
ROYAL RUMOR ROUNDUP
The rumor mill this week has Queen Elizabeth sneaking a peek at Meghan's wedding dress. The bride's gown is said to be hidden away in Windsor and will show it to the queen this week or possibly the next, according to US Weekly.
Another story circulating the web is that Meghan's gown -- rumored to be a custom Ralph & Russo Couture creation -- will cost approximately $135,600.
"Meghan’s dress is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars," royal expert Melanie Bromley told Harper's Bazaar. "It's going to be featured in the history books, so needs to stand the test of time.”
The price may seem quite high, though that doesn't compare to Kate Middleton's custom Alexander McQueen design that cost around $400,000. "But that eye-watering price was befitting for a future queen, so it’s unlikely Meghan’s will be as expensive because it could be seen by some as being disrespectful,” Bromley added.
ET’s royal expert Katie Nicholl had echoed those sentiments back in March, saying, "I think it's very unlikely that Meghan would spend more than that and in doing so try and upstage a future queen."
OUT AND ABOUT
Although we didn't get a real sighting from Meghan and Prince Harry this week (they're kinda busy, ya know, preparing for a royal wedding!), fans freaked out via social media when Madame Tussauds unveiled two wax figures of the bride-to-be on Wednesday.
One is located in New York City, in the Madame Tussauds' Royal Palace Experience. Meghan's likeness, dressed in a gown donated by one of real Meghan's favorite designers, Self Portrait, is perfectly placed right next to a wax replica of Harry.
A second wax figure of the former Suits star was unveiled at the museum's London location, where the statue sports a green dress and nude heels, with her hair flowing past her shoulders in a similar style.
According to Christine Haughney, Madame Tussauds' regional head of marketing for northeast, Meghan is aware that the wax figures exist. "She has [seen photos]," Haughney told ET. "We hope [she approves]."
RATHER REGAL LOOKS
We already took a look back at Meghan's royal style since first being spotted with her fiance. This week, let's take a walk down memory lane and revisit the bride-to-be's fashion evolution from when she first hit the Hollywood scene back in 2009 to just before getting engaged:
LOL OF THE WEEK
Literally everyone is getting into the royal wedding spirit! Earlier this week, corgis dressed as Harry, Meghan and other members of the royal family took part in Lifetime's "Corgi Court," celebrating Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance, which premieres on the network on May 13.
The adorable affair was held at Herald Square in New York City on Thursday. Check out these too cute pics of the royal corgis:
SPARKLE LIKE MARKLE
While we typically try to practice our own princess etiquette here in this section, this week, we came across an adorable home video of Meghan from 1990 that needs to be seen.
Back when she was growing up in Los Angeles, the brunette beauty's playtime involved mimicking the queen and British royalty with her friends. Watch below:
NEXT IN LINE
While Kate Middleton stays home with Prince Louis, Prince William continues to represent the family at royal affairs. On Wednesday, the Duke of Cambridge opened London Bridge Station, which had been redeveloped in a five-year transformation program.
According to Kensington Palace, William met architects involved in the project, unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening and met with the Bridges Choir.
The wedding is officially only one week away! 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.
In the meantime, keep up with all of ET's coverage of the royal wedding as we count down to May 19.
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