Getty US actress and fiancee of Britain's Prince Harry Meghan Markle attends a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum in central London on April 18, 2018, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting
The Royal Wedding 2018 time in the USA is 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT for the ceremony, but televised coverage will begin airing live as early as 4 a.m. ET. Live coverage is airing across many networks, but when it comes to covering the actual event, we have the rundown of the wedding schedule, as well as the programs airing the ceremony.
First, let’s get into the Royal Wedding schedule of the day. The grounds of Windsor Castle will be open to some members of the public, who will begin to arrive at 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET. Guests then will start to arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. GMT/4:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. ET by coach. Guests will arrive at the Castle’s Round Tower and enter the chapel via the South Door, according to The Sun.
Telegraph has reported that members of the royal family will appear at 11:20 a.m. GMT/6:20 a.m. ET. Then, at 11:40 a.m. GMT/6:40 a.m. ET, Prince Harry and his brother Prince William, who is the best man, will reportedly arrive on the steps of the chapel. The two brothers are reported to be walking past the thousands of spectators on their way in, connecting with their fans. Harry will also acknowledge an estimated 200 representatives from his associated charities. According to The Sun, the reps will be gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister outside the castle steps.
The Queen is the last to arrive before the bride. Her Highness is set to arrive at 11:55 a.m. GMT/6:55 a.m. ET and the bride will then arrive at 11:59 a.m. GMT/6:59 a.m. ET, just in time for the ceremony to begin, at the Chapel’s West Steps. Markle will be coming with her mother at her side, bridesmaids, pageboys and flower girls in tow. Prince George and Princess Charlotte are a part of the royal bridal party. The official wedding ceremony is reported to be starting at 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET.
At 1 p.m. GMT/8 a.m. ET, the newly married couple will participate in a Carriage Procession from St. George’s Chapel through Windsor Town, which will run back to Windsor Castle, as reported by Fox News. They will be riding in the Ascot Landau Carriage.
Markle and Prince Harry will then meet approximately 800 guests at St. George’s Hall for a reception, which is hosted by the Queen, as reported by The Sun. An additional reception is to be held later that evening for an estimated 200 guests, which is a more intimate party at the Frogmore House. This reception is being put on by the Prince of Wales.
GettyPrince William and his best man Prince Harry (left) are greeted by Receiver General Stephen Lamport as they arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England.
Many networks are airing coverage of the event, but when it comes to the times and programs that are broadcasting the actual wedding ceremony, here is the rundown below. The times and channels below are for the USA.
BBC America is airing coverage of the wedding ceremony on Saturday, as is BBC. On BBC America, the coverage runs from 4 – 9 a.m. ET.
E! Live From the Royal Wedding will air the ceremony itself, along with arrivals and the moments surrounding the event. This live coverage will air from 5 – 10 a.m. ET/2 – 7 a.m. PT on the E! Network.
CNN is airing live coverage of the Royal Wedding throughout the day. Coverage will begin at 4 a.m. ET and run until 3 p.m. ET. Both HLN and MSNBC will be airing similar coverage, though MSNBC will end theirs at 10 a.m. ET and HLN will end theirs at 11 a.m. ET.
FOX News is airing live coverage of the Royal Wedding as well. Their FOX and Friends Saturday special programming will cover the actual event from 6 – 10 a.m. ET.
The Royal Wedding: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle is airing on the PBS network from 4 – 9 a.m. ET.
CBS News Presents: The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begins at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT and runs until 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. This airs on the CBS network.
The Royal Wedding: A Special Edition of Good Morning America will be hosted by Robin Roberts and David Muir. The lead coverage will air from 5 – 10 a.m. ET/2 – 7 a.m. PT and will air on both ABC and the Freeform network.
La Boda Real, which translates as “The Royal Wedding” will air live on Telemundo. This live coverage of the event will air from 5 – 9 a.m. ET.
For those who cannot get to a television or do not wish to watch the wedding as early, Express UK has reported that there are an estimated 200 movie theaters showing the ceremony at 10 a.m. local time. The viewing will run for 3 hours and 30 minutes and you can check to see if its screening in a theater near you via Fandango here.