Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Date Breaks Royal Tradition

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting married on May 19, 2018, Kensington Palace announced today. The ceremony is slated to take place on a Saturday, which is a very common day to have a wedding, but the couple is straying from royal tradition by choosing to tie the knot over the weekend.

Though there's no official rule, other royal weddings in recent history have taken place during the week. Prince William and Kate Middleton married on Friday, April 29, 2011. Before that, Princess Diana and Prince Charles tied the knot on Wednesday, July 29, 1981. Even Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip said "I do" on Thursday, November 20, 1947.

Despite straying from royal protocol, the couple's wedding date is common among other engaged pairs. Wedding planning site Bridebook reports that half of all weddings take place in May, and that 2,800 couples are also expected to get married on May 19, the 23rd most popular wedding dates for 2018.

Not all couples, however, will be tying the knot at Windsor Castle like Harry and Meghan. The pair is choosing to say their vows St. George's Chapel on castle grounds, where other royal couples like Peter Phillips (William and Harry's cousin) Autumn Kelly and Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones have tied the knot. However, they might miss out on the iconic balcony moment.

Harry and Meghan are also deviating from royal tradition with their upcoming holiday plans. Though fiancées aren't usually invited to the family's Christmas celebrations, which take place at the Queen's residence in Norfolk, Prince Harry asked for a special exception for his bride-to-be.

This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US

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