The invitees gathered at Windsor Castle to witness the couple's arrival and the Carriage procession as it left the castle. Meanwhile, approximately 600 of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's guests had seats in the Nave and the choir of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Notable attendees included Oprah, Amal Clooney, George Clooney, Priyanka Chopra, Carey Mulligan, Idris Elba, and more. While goodie bags were handed out to the thousands of spectators outside the chapel, the select 600 guests inside didn't receive them, as their invitation was already considered a coveted gift.
The monogrammed gift bags featured Meghan and Harry's initials, their wedding date, and the ceremony's location. These bags contained simple items, such as cookies, a piece of chocolate, a water bottle, a magnet with "Harry and Meghan's Wedding," and a 20% off coupon for The Shops at Windsor. According to ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman, guests could also enjoy coffee and a bacon buddy.
The practice of distributing gift bags at weddings is more common in the United States than in royal traditions. Previous royal weddings, dating back to Queen Victoria, typically involved giving beautifully packaged slices of wedding cake to guests.
Harry and Meghan were the first members of the royal family to introduce gift bags to their wedding guests. While this appeared to be a generous gesture, it was later revealed that Meghan utilized it as a marketing strategy through the Royal brand. After the wedding, she reportedly sold some of these gift bags on eBay, drawing criticism for doing so shortly after the Windsor Castle wedding. Some of the listings were priced at thousands of pounds, with one listing going for as much as £3,000.
The sets included an order of service, a wristband, a chocolate coin, a bottle of water, shortbread, and a magnet. In the days following the wedding, these goodie bags were listed online for £21,000, with the listing inviting potential buyers to own a unique piece of royal history. Kensington Palace had previously stated in March 2018 that Harry and Meghan invited 2,640 people to the Windsor grounds to witness their arrivals, emphasizing their desire to include the public in their celebrations.
