Royal wedding venue Windsor: the good, bad and ugly sides to a visit

Slough, one of the ‘ugliest’ towns in the country, and Eton, one of the most attractive, are both within a bridal bouquet’s toss of the famous castle

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Tim Pile

Published: 8:15pm, 2 May 2018Updated: 10:35am, 3 May 2018

The good

On Saturday, May 19, Britain’s Prince Harry will marry American Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, 30km west of London. At about the time you’re reading this, a handful of determined (eccentric) royal devotees will be bagging the best spots along the wedding parade route and marking out their territory with bunting and banners.

Some may even have come straight from St Mary’s Hospital, in Paddington, where they camped out hoping to glimpse Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, after the birth of their third child.

Besides family and friends, the royal wedding guest list includes 2,640 members of the public who have been invited to join Harry and Meghan in the castle grounds. A further 100,000 spectators are expected to gather at selected viewing areas to watch the ceremony on giant screens, after which the bride and groom will greet the crowds as they make their way through Windsor by carriage.

Royal wedding-themed cards and mementos in souvenir shops around Windsor. Picture: Alamy

At this late stage, finding accommodation is about as easy as marrying into the royal family. Rooms on the parade route have been changing hands for up to £2,000 (US$2,700) a night on Airbnb and nearby towns such as Slough are experiencing a spike in interest from wedding watchers put off by high prices in the Royal Borough.

If your wedding invite has been lost in the post or you’d prefer to visit at a slightly quieter and less expensive time, Windsor offers plenty to keep visitors busy throughout the year. Start with a stroll amid the glorious surroundings of Windsor Great Park, formerly a private hunting ground, now home to 500 deer. The tree-lined Long Walk provides spectacular views of the Copper Horse statue in one direction and the 11th-century castle in the other.