What's on the Menu for the Commoners at the Royal Wedding

After announcing they want to share their special day with everyday people, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have asked the 1,200 members of the public they invited to bring their own picnics to the event.

Many of the specially selected guests are charity workers or individuals who have been recognised for their hard community work. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invited these guests to stand on the grounds of Windsor Castle where they are to wed, as a gesture of inclusion.

While they are not invited to attend the actual ceremony itself, the lucky commoners will be able to watch the royals arrive at the church and leave in their carriage.

The wedding is set to take place at 1pm, but crowds are expected to get there several hours earlier to pass through rigorous security checks, so it’s estimated they will be standing outside St George’s chapel for at least four and a half hours in total.

They’ve also been informed in a letter from the Queen’s lord lieutenants to “bring a picnic lunch as it will not be possible to buy food and drink on site”.

Kensington Palace has suggested that some refreshments and snacks may be available on the day, but many of the guests are unhappy about the shocking revelation and the seeming lack of hospitality.

Saeed Atcha, an invitee and the founder of a youth magazine, said some of the disadvantaged individuals his charity has helped were confused by the statement. “They were saying how come they have this money and you have to bring a picnic? I am of the same opinion. It’s unfathomable.”

However, the lack of food doesn’t matter to many other attendees such as Rashid Bhayt, the leader of a youth charity from Coventry, who will be fasting anyway as he is observing Ramadan. “If you hear I fainted, it won’t be because I was starstruck,” he joked.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 600 guests inside the chapel will head to a lunchtime reception in the castle after the royal ceremony at 2pm. However, the nominated members of the public will be left to their own devices.