Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Wedding Triggers Windsor Castle Tourism Boom
The upcoming wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry triggered a tourism boom at Windsor Castle. Since the couple announced their plan to marry at the St. George's Chapel inside the compound, the number of visitors to the site increased.
Sources said that the queue of visitors at Windsor became unusually longer after Markle and Prince Harry said they were getting married in the historical site. A spokesperson confirmed that tourists hiked up to 40 percent in recent weeks.
"Windsor is high on many people's 'must see' list but the news of the royal wedding is only helping to elevate it even further," according to an unnamed spokesperson. "It will be a while before we can evaluate the full impact of the royal wedding on tourism to Windsor but we do know hotels locally have already taken a lot of bookings in the lead up to and during the weekend of the wedding."
Several booking sites indeed showed that hotel rooms in the area near Windsor Castle had little vacancies around May 19, the day of Prince Harry's wedding to Markle. Hotels, whether four-star or lodging types, within the 20 minute distance of the venue are reportedly full but there are still a few cheaper options in the outside towns around Windsor.
Windsor Castle, built in the 11th century, was originally the home of King Henry III and King Edward III, which later became a military headquarters. It then became a state apartment when future kings preferred Kensington and Buckingham as their main residences. Today, Queen Elizabeth houses the state's guests at Windsor.
The St. George's Chapel located inside the Windsor Castle compound was added in the 14th century. It became the site of recent royal weddings of Prince Harry's uncle, Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, and Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles to Camila Parker Bowles in 2005.
"As with all members of the Royal Family, Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there over the last year and a half," Kensington Palace noted in a statement. "They are grateful to the Queen for granting permission for the use of the Chapel."
