Invitations to the wedding of the year were limited to "just" 600 guests at the ceremony and included a strict dress code for members of the royal family, as well as big name celebrities from both sides of the Atlantic.
Image: Reuters/J. Brady
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Hats, tuxedos and no bare arms allowed: The royal dress code
Guests to the royal wedding were given strict instructions as to how to dress. For the ceremony, that included for women: a hat, a knee-length dress and nylons, neither in white or all-black. For men: a suit or tuxedo.
Image: Getty Images/D. Kitwood
Meghan Markle
The guest of honor, bride Meghan Markle, arrived at St. George's Chapel in a simple white gown designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. Rumors swirled for months ahead of the occassion and the secret as to who would make the gown for the wedding of the year was kept.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/B. Stansall
Oprah Winfrey
One of the first guests to arrive needed no introduction: Oprah Winfrey arrived in a pale pink two-piece with lace hemlines that accentuated a rose-brimmed hat. The dress was designed by British designer Stella McCartney.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/
Amal and George Clooney
Fashion's woman of the moment, Amal Clooney, brightened up the chapel when she arrived in a marigold yellow sheath with a veiled hat. The human rights lawyer has been a friend of the bride "for some time," and lives with her husband, the actor George Clooney, and their twins just 30 minutes from Windsor Castle.
Image: Reuters/G. Fuller
Idris Elba
English actor Idris Elba arrived shortly after Oprah Winfrey. Six hundred guests were invited to the wedding ceremony (just 200 of whom have been asked to celebrate at a private reception later in the day). Elba's presence came as a surprise. Kensington Palace had not released a guest list ahead of the ceremony.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/G. Fuller
Serena Williams
Tennis star Serena Williams was one of the guests to announce her presence before she arrived with a post on Instagram showing her getting ready for her friend's big day. Here, the new mother is pictured with husband Alexis Ohanian while wearing a pastel Versace dress.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/G. Fuller
Princess Anne
No royal wedding would be complete if the entire family were not present. Among the guests were Harry's aunt, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/PA Wire/G. Fuller
Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles
Prince Charles, father of the groom, arrived with his second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. After much speculation in the week leading up to the wedding, it was finally decided that Markle would be accompanied by Prince Charles through the quire.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/G. Fuller
Pleasing the public
Hats are reserved for special occassions in the UK and are often requested to be worn by women during church ceremonies. Fans of the royals, including these three women above, although not allowed into Windsor Castle, donned their best hats to celebrate the big day. The bigger and more fanciful, it seems, the better.
Image: Getty Images/D. Kitwood
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A royal wedding always makes for a great people-watching occasion. When it comes to dressing with a bit of flare, no one does it better than the British.
The marriage of Prince Harry to the US actor Meghan Markle was no different, with celebrities from the United States and Britain arriving adorned in their Sunday best for the church ceremony. Although many of the details were kept private in advance, including the guest list and the designer of Markle's dress, it was expected that even guests who had never before attended a royal wedding would follow the strict dress code.
Among the page boys and flower girls were Prince George and Princess CharlotteImage: Reuters/J. Barlow
That dress code included tuxedos or suits for men, with a tie. Women were required to wear a knee-length dress with hat. Bare legs and bare shoulders were forbidden.
And, as usual, though the dress code was strictly adhered to, the women in attendance had quite a bit of fun with their headwear.
Sarah Ferguson displays a standard hat with veilImage: picture-alliance/dpa/PA Wire/G. Fuller
