It had been dubbed the wedding of the decade, and Saturday’s Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attracted huge interest at home and abroad.
The couple officially tied the knot just after 12.30pm on Saturday, before taking a carriage ride around Windsor to the delight of thousands of spectators.
Here is a minute-by-minute recap of the ceremony, the dress, the guests – and that kiss, as it happened.
Harry and Meghan’s wedding: A timeline
08:11: Queen makes Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex, a title not used since the reign of King George III in the 1700s.
The same Buckingham Palace announcement confirms that Meghan Markle will become the first Duchess of Sussex.
Harry takes the titles of Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.
09:45: Guests including US television host Oprah Winfrey and British actor Idris Elba arrive at Windsor Castle.
Earl Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of the Wales, also arrive at St George’s Chapel.
10:26: Actor George Clooney and his barrister wife Amal arrive at St George’s Chapel.
11:19:Meghan Markle leaves Cliveden House Hotel with her mother Doria Ragland in a vintage Rolls-Royce Phantom IV to travel to Windsor Castle.
11:35:Prince Harry and his best man, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, arrive at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle. The pair walk through the Lower Ward and into the Horseshoe Cloisters in front of the chapel’s West Steps entrance.
11:45: Meghan Markle and her mother Doria Ragland arrive on the Windsor estate. Ragland changes vehicle as Markle greets the page boys who will accompany her to the chapel.
11:52: Doria Ragland is delivered to the chapel’s side entrance.
11:55: Charles, Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive at the same place.
11:57: The Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh arrive.
11:59:Markle’s bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, arrive at St George’s Chapel, accompanied by their mothers, Benita Litt, Jessica Mulroney and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
12:01: The vintage Rolls-Royce carrying Meghan Markle and two page boys, Mulroney twins Brian and John, both 7, comes to a halt in the Horseshoe Cloisters in front of St George’s Chapel. Markle emerges from the car, giving the world a first full look at her wedding dress.
12:03: Kensington Palace announces that Markle’s dress is made by British designer British designer Clare Waight Keller, the first female Artistic Director at French fashion house Givenchy.
12:19: The Most Reverend Michael Curry begins his sermon on the power of love, prompting senior Royals to react.
12:31: The couple begin to recite their vows.
12:39: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are proclaimed husband and wife by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, after an exchange of rings.
13:05: The newly-wed Duke and Duchess of Sussex kiss on the West Steps of St George’s Chapel as onlookers cheer.
According to lip reader Tina Lannin, when the newly-wed couple stop mid-way down the West Steps there was a moment of uncertainty over their first kiss as husband and wife.
Meghan discreetly asks Harry: “Do we kiss?”
To which Harry quietly replies: “Yeah”.
13:10: The couple begin one of the longest Royal wedding processions in living memory across Windsor and the estate, including the two-mile Long Walk.
13:30: Their carriage returns to Windsor Castle, disappearing under an arch within the grounds.
The couple’s guests could also be seen arriving for the first of two receptions.
14:00: The first reception, hosted by the Queen, sees around 600 guests are welcomed to the Royal apartments – essentially all those who attended the wedding.
Details released reveal Prince Harry, and his father, Charles, the Prince of Wales, make speeches.
The Duke of Cambridge, Harry’s best man, acts as compere.
The reception includes the cutting of the wedding cake.
14:15: Kensington Palace shares a picture of the Royal wedding cake, made by baker Claire Ptak.
14:50: Some of the celebrity guests begin tweeting about their experience.
Singer James Blunt cheekily responds to an incredulous spectator.
15:24: The Press Association notes that Prince Harry’s uniform reveals that some time after leaving the Army in 2015 he was promoted to the rank of major, an honour that was bestowed by the Queen.
The prince wore a frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals ranked to major, with large gold embroidered crowns, the news service reported.
It is the Queen’s prerogative that senior members of the royal family are promoted in line with their peers because they hold royal military appointments.
15:26: After the ceremony, many of the estimated 100,000-strong crowd in Windsor begins to head for the railway station, causing long queues.
15:35: Guests begin to leave the first lunchtime wedding reception.
16:00: Kensington Palace confirms singer Elton John performed at the first reception.
“Sir Elton performed for the newly married couple in recognition of the close connection he has with Prince Harry and his family,” the palace’s statement said.
Attendees reveal how people were moved to tears at the reception as Sir Elton John gave a “mini-concert”.
Suhani Jalota, the founder of the India-based Myna Mahila charity, says: “[Elton John] was incredible. It became like a mini-concert in the reception area. It was great.”
16:23: The official Kensington Palace Twitter account introduces a new profile image which includes the Duchess of Sussex for the first time.
17:02: Jessica Mulroney, Meghan Markle’s best friend and mother of the two page boys who held the Duchess’s bridal train as she walked into St George’s Chapel, posts a poignant message on Instagram.
19:23: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex step out for the first time since their wedding to attend the evening reception at nearby Frogmore House.
The Duchess’s evening dress is revealed as a design from British fashion entrepreneur Stella McCartney. Prince Harry wore black tie.
At the same time, a Kensington Palace official suggests there will be no further official updates and that the evening celebration will remain private.
NOTE: This article has been updated throughout.
