Windsor braces for onslaught of royal well-wishers as security tightens ahead of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s wedding

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The town of Windsor has begun bracing for more than 100,000 royal well-wishers as security around Windsor Castle tightens in anticipation of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding on Saturday.

Police were out in full force on the town’s streets on Friday amid a carnival-like atmosphere and warm sunshine, with Union Jacks flying from every lamppost. Pubs and restaurants were packed around Windsor Castle, and street vendors were selling everything from Harry and Meghan hats and scarves to flags, cups, T-shirts and a host of other souvenirs. Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets around the castle on Saturday to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds when they take a short carriage ride after the ceremony. While extra trains have been added to accommodate the influx, there are fears Windsor’s tiny railway station won’t be able to handle the crowds and could be shut down for periods. Several roads around the castle will also be closed and parking has been banned in most of the town centre.

Earlier on Friday, Kensington Palace cleared up a final wedding mystery by announcing that Ms. Markle had asked Prince Charles, her future father-in-law, to accompany her down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel. “The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to the Royal Family in this way,” officials said. The announcement ended days of speculation about who would accompany the bride after Ms. Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., backed out due to health concerns. On Thursday, Ms. Markle confirmed that her father wouldn’t be attending and issued a statement wishing him well. “I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,” she said. It had been widely expected that the bride would be accompanied by her mother, Doria Ragland, who arrived in London on Thursday from her home in Los Angeles. But Ms. Ragland was reportedly happy to hand over the honour to the Prince of Wales. It is expected that he will meet Ms. Markle halfway down the aisle and walk with her the rest of the way.

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Palace officials also indicated that Prince Philip would attend the ceremony. The 96-year-old has been recovering from hip surgery and it wasn’t clear that he would be well enough to attend. But on Friday, Buckingham Palace said he would be there.

Ms. Markle will be spending Friday night with her mother at nearby Cliveden House, where rooms cost around £558 per night, or $965. Prince Harry will stay with his brother, Prince William, at Coworth Park, also nearby, where suites go for about £1,535 a night.

As the town readied for the onslaught, some visitors began staking out spots along the carriage route. Patrick Mckemie and his girlfriend Jeannette Valentine flew in from San Francisco and arrived in Windsor at 6 a.m. on Friday to claim a position along the fencing. They planned to camp out overnight under a tarp, despite the local council’s warning that tents have been banned. “I just wanted to see something good, because there is so much bad news in the world,” said Mr. Mckemie, a 53-year-old radiologist. The trip was also a birthday gift for Ms. Valentine, who turns 56 on Saturday. She had no interest in the Royal Family until the announcement of Ms. Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry last November. Like Ms. Markle, Ms. Valentine is an African-American woman in a mixed-race relationship. “Suddenly, for me there was just an explosion of interest, and I just wanted to know everything about her,” said Ms. Valentine. “I think she’s going to make the Royal Family a lot less stiff.”

Special invitees like Helen Reeve were also arriving on Friday. She got an invitation to the royal wedding in the mail last month, but figured it was a scam. “I thought it was just an April fool’s joke that had gone really, really wrong,” Ms. Reeve said from her home near Alburgh, a village in eastern England where she runs a 50-herd cattle farm. After reading the letter about 10 times, and double-checking the RSVP address, she was finally convinced it was genuine. “To be fair I still don’t really believe it,” she said with a laugh. “We’re quite excited. It’s not every day you get to go to see a prince getting married off.”

On Saturday, Ms. Reeve and her mother, Joan, will be among 2,640 specially invited guests gathered outside Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel who will be the first to greet Prince Harry and Ms. Markle after the wedding ceremony. The guest list was drawn up by local officials across the U.K., who selected people based on their contributions to the community. Ms. Reeve works with young farmers’ clubs in her area and teaches courses in farm machinery and livestock management at a local college, all in addition to running the cattle operation with her mother and father. She’s thrilled at the invitation and gratified someone noticed her efforts.

She’ll be a fish out of water among the jet-setters and high-rollers inside the chapel, who will be sporting the latest fashions, staying in high-class hotels and eating at Windsor’s finest restaurants. Ms. Reeve didn’t have time to go out and shop for a new dress, but she did find one online for £30, or about $50. “It has a floral pattern and pockets,” she said. She also managed to get a hotel room for £100 outside the town, after discovering that rooms in Windsor could cost £1,100 a night. And instead of a lavish lunch after the service, she’ll be packing her own sandwiches. She and her mother, who is 68, also have to bring chairs to sit on while they wait roughly four hours for the service to start. “I think it’s just going to be quite a chilled, relaxed sort of day,” she said.

It all ends Saturday night for Ms. Reeve. “We’re heading back late Saturday,” she said. “First thing Sunday I’ll be back on the farm feeding the cows again.”