The clock is ticking: we're closing in on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding.
An event so many of the country's eyes will feverishly turn to, but how? As is the tradition with major royal events, expect some intensive television coverage from Windsor Castle when the nuptials take place on Saturday, 19 May.
Though the ceremony, taking place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, will commence at 12pm and close around 1pm, there'll still be hours of coverage before to track the build in anticipation.
The wedding and procession will be televised, with UK viewers able to watch the coverage on the BBC, Sky News, and ITV.
The BBC's broadcast will be anchored by Huw Edwards, Kirsty Young, and Dermot O'Leary; Young and O'Leary will cover the build-up from Saturday morning from around Windsor Castle's moat, while Edwards will present from the roof of the Windsor Guard Room.
The One Show's Alex Jones and Ore Oduba will also act as roaming reporters, capturing the excitement from the gathered crowds. The BBC has further announced that a television licence will not be required to watch the coverage, allowing the event to be screened at community events and street parties.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – in pictures
20 show all Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – in pictures
1/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce their engagement. Getty Images
2/20 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast during their visit to Northern Ireland. Rex Features
3/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for their engagement shoot. Alexi Lubomirski
4/20 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017 in King's Lynn. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
5/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a wheelchair tennis event at the Invictus Games in Toronto. AP
6/20 Another picture from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement shoot. Alexi Lubomirski
7/20 Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle watch a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during a visit at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales. AFP/Getty Images
8/20 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring with Prince Harry. Getty Images
9/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton in London. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio. Getty Images
10/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones at Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. Getty
11/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public following a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton, south London PA
12/20 Prince Harry kisses Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto. AP
13/20 AFP/Getty Images
14/20 Picture: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle look at some prosthetic limbs made by the Titanic FX company during a visit to Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast where they met some of Northern Ireland's brightest young entrepreneurs. Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images
15/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose at The Sunken Gardens. Getty Images
16/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak to an athlete after a Wheelchair Tennis match at the 2017 Invictus Games PA Wire/PA Images
17/20 Getty Images
18/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watch a wheelchair tennis event at the Invictus Games AP
19/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joke around Getty Images for the Invictus Ga
20/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle PA Wire/PA Images
ITV's coverage will be presented by Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham, broadcasting from a purpose-built studio in Windsor. Sky News will also be broadcasting live from Windsor itself.
However, one portion of the day that won't be screened for the public is the wedding's two receptions, which are for private guests only.
The service is to be conducted by the Dean of Windsor and officiated by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
For viewers in the US, footage will air on CBS' This Morning, which starts at 4:00 EST (1:00 PT). NBC is taking its entire The Today Show team to Windsor to commence coverage at 4.30 EST (1:30 PT), while ABC News and Good Morning America will both start coverage 5:00 EST (2:00 PT).
BBC America will broadcast a live simulcast of BBC One's coverage from 4:15 EST (1:15 PT), while HBO starts coverage much later at 7:15 EST (4:30 PT). Over 200 cinema screenings of the ceremony will also take place at 10am local time, screening ITV's broadcast several hours after the ceremony takes place.
The ceremony itself will start at 7:00 EST (04:00 PT).
The ceremony will also be streamed on several online services: UK viewers with a TV licence can watch either BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub, while US viewers can watch CBSN Live and ABC News.
*Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.*
With less than a week until the royal wedding, Queen Elizabeth has given the happy couple her official consent.
In accordance with the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, the formal instrument of consent has been signed by the Queen - and shared by the royal family’s Twitter account.
The hand-written document is the formal version of the previously released charter of declaration letter, which also expressed the Queen’s consent for the wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to take place.
According to the royal website, the instrument of consent is hand-written and illuminated on vellum, which is only used for important state documents, by one of a panel of scrivener artists retained by the crown office.
The ornate letter reads: “NOW KNOW YE that We have consented and do by these Presents signify Our Consent to the contracting of Matrimony between Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, K.C.V.O., and Rachel Meghan Markle.”
As Prince Harry is sixth-in-line to the throne, he must receive the formal approval of the monarch, his grandmother, before he can wed.
The certificate is also beautiful visually.
Bearing The Queen's signature, the Instrument of Consent records Her Majesty's consent to the Marriage of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle. #RoyalWedding
Find out more: https://t.co/KNUnxl0hUj pic.twitter.com/wsXTt4FzAn — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 13, 2018
To the left of the wording, a red dragon, the heraldic symbol of Wales, appears together with the UK's floral emblems – the rose, thistle and shamrock, according to the royal website. Underneath, Prince Harry’s label is featured - with three scallops from the Spencer family Arms.
The consent letter was signed by the Queen herself (Getty)
The art to the right of the wording is also symbolic and especially meaningful, as it symbolises Meghan Markle’s identity as a American-born citizen.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – in pictures
20 show all Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – in pictures
1/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce their engagement. Getty Images
2/20 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast during their visit to Northern Ireland. Rex Features
3/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for their engagement shoot. Alexi Lubomirski
4/20 Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017 in King's Lynn. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
5/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a wheelchair tennis event at the Invictus Games in Toronto. AP
6/20 Another picture from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement shoot. Alexi Lubomirski
7/20 Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle watch a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during a visit at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales. AFP/Getty Images
8/20 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring with Prince Harry. Getty Images
9/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton in London. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio. Getty Images
10/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones at Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. Getty
11/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public following a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton, south London PA
12/20 Prince Harry kisses Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto. AP
13/20 AFP/Getty Images
14/20 Picture: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle look at some prosthetic limbs made by the Titanic FX company during a visit to Catalyst Inc science park in Belfast where they met some of Northern Ireland's brightest young entrepreneurs. Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images
15/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose at The Sunken Gardens. Getty Images
16/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak to an athlete after a Wheelchair Tennis match at the 2017 Invictus Games PA Wire/PA Images
17/20 Getty Images
18/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watch a wheelchair tennis event at the Invictus Games AP
19/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joke around Getty Images for the Invictus Ga
20/20 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle PA Wire/PA Images
In addition to a rose, the national flower of America, two golden poppies represent the state of California, where Markle was born. The design also includes a Welsh leek, Prince Harry’s label, and an olive branch, from the seal of the United States.
The instrument of consent will be presented to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the royal wedding on May 19 2018.
There's not long to go until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding. The invitations have been dispatched, the cake is being iced and the final flouishes are being added to the wedding gown. For everyone else, cushions must be plumped and snacks must be sourced in readiness for the programme start time.
As with previous royal weddings and milestone celebrations, you can expect hours of television coverage streamed live from the lawns of Windsor Castle and the heights of St George's Chapel nave.
This wedding will go beyond the heights of Suits, in which Ms Markle stars, or The Crown. There will be as much tradition and pomp as any drama or history series ever needed.
Expect cheering crowds in any weather packing the pavements of Windsor and thousands celebrating in their local communities at street parties across the nation.
To make sure you catch every second on TV - including the dizzying spectacle of the FA Cup Final which falls on the same day - read on.
