Prince William is widely expected to skip the FA Cup final on Saturday 19 May in order to attend the wedding of his brother Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. The Duke, who is President of the Football Association, would normally attend the highly anticipated match, as he has done in previous years, but it seems William is putting family first.
The FA has yet to announce the start time for the match at Wembley, north London. Kick-off is usually at 5:30pm but given that the game may run into extra time, it wouldn't be possible for William to be in two places at once. His brother's wedding will be held at noon at St George's Chapel in Windsor, followed by a reception in St George's Hall and an evening party at nearby Frogmore House, a 45-minute drive away from the football stadium.
© Photo: Getty ImagesWilliam is widely expected to skip the FA Cup final
William was said to be struggling to see if he could attend both events, but it's likely he will put his wedding duties first. The future King is expected to act as Harry's best man, although royal weddings do not technically have 'best men'. According to Marlene Koenig, a British and European royalty expert, the best man or best men at royal weddings are officially called 'supporters'. "William will probably be Harry's supporter," said Marlene.
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When Prince Charles married Princess Diana in 1981, he asked his brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward to be his 'supporters', and similarly Edward asked his two older siblings to support him on his own wedding day. However, it's thought William actually broke tradition for his own 2011 nuptials and did appoint Harry to be his official 'best man'.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe wedding venue, St George's Chapel, is a 45-minute drive away from Wembley stadium
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It's highly unlikely that William's wife Kate will be included in Meghan's bridal party. The Duchess, who will have just welcomed her third child, will want to avoid taking any attention away from the bride and the groom; she kept a low-profile at sister Pippa Middleton's wedding in May for similar reasons. But her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte – Harry's niece and nephew – will likely act as pageboy and bridesmaid respectively, much like they did at auntie Pippa's wedding.
