Public with ‘golden ticket’ to royal wedding told to provide their own picnic lunch

COMMONERS invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding were left disappointed when they got a letter with instructions for the big day.

MEMBERS of the public with a “golden ticket” to the royal wedding have been told to provide their own picnic lunch.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have invited 1200 commoners “to feel part of the celebrations” by standing in the grounds of Windsor Castle on the big day.

However, some guests have expressed their dismay after receiving a letter from the Queen’s lord lieutenants, suggesting that they “bring a picnic lunch as it will not be possible to buy food and drink on site”.

Members of the public with a ‘golden ticket’ to the royal wedding have been told to provide their own picnic lunch. Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage

Those invited inside the castle walls include charity workers and others nominated for their bravery or work in the local community.

Saeed Atcha, founder of a youth charity in Bolton, Greater Manchester, told The Guardian that some of the disadvantaged people he worked with were bemused at the lack of hospitality offered by the royal family.

“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,” he said.

They have been told it won’t be possible to buy food or drinks on site. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“There’s a McDonald’s [nearby] but I’m not sure I’ll be able to bring in a fillet meal.”

Kensington Palace said some “light refreshments and snacks” will be available. The wedding is due to begin at noon and be over by 1pm, but members of the public will arrive several hours earlier to pass security checks and find a prime spot close to the doors of St George’s Chapel.

What would you take in a picnic lunch to the royal wedding?

The crowd granted exclusive access to the grounds will comprise 1200 members of the public, 1140 palace staff, 200 people associated with the couple’s favoured charities and 100 local schoolchildren.

There will be 600 guests inside the chapel, who will head to a lunchtime reception in the castle after the ceremony.

This article originally appeared on the New Zealand Herald and has been republished with permission.