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You may not get an invite for Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding, but that doesn’t mean you can’t a get a look at the invitations being sent out to the 600 guests for the biggest fancy hat event of the year.
Kensington Palace confirmed that formal invitations have been sent by the Prince of Wales, for the May 19 service at St George's Chapel, Windsor.
Some 600 people, including the Royal Family, Markle’s parents, and the couple’s friends will attend the church service and lunchtime reception, given by the Queen.
The invitations, posted this week, were produced by Barnard and Westwood, which has held the “Royal Warrant for Printing & Bookbinding by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen” since 1985, and has a second royal warrant with the Prince of Wales.
And the card is truly an example of international diplomacy. The printers have used American ink on English cardstock.
Per a palace press release, “The invitation is die-stamped in gold and then burnished. The text on the invitation is also die-stamped. The edges of the invitation are bevelled then gilded.” The invitations are also stamped with the Three Feather Badge of The Prince of Wales.
Each invitation was printed by Lottie Small, who recently completed her apprenticeship, on a machine from the 1930s that she affectionately nicknamed ‘Maude’.
WATCH: Lottie using 'Maude' to print the invites
The invitations are similar to the ones sent out for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011 - although these were in a different font and were issued with the Queen’s royal cypher.
The invitations read: ‘His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales KG KT requests the pleasure of the company of....... at the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales with Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday 19th May, 2018 at 12 Noon followed by a reception at Windsor Castle.’
Furthermore, the invitation stipulates a strict dress code with men asked to don military uniform -- likely to be worn by Harry, a former solder who is now Captain General of Royal Marines -- or a morning coat and lounge hat, with women asked to wear a day dress and hat.
And just a gentle reminder, the big day is less than two months away, folks.
