The official Royal wedding order of service as Meghan Markle weds Prince Harry

Meghan Markle will not promise to "obey" her husband when she marries Prince Harry, it was revealed today as the full order of service for the royal wedding was unveiled for the public.

The couple will bring their own modern touch to their royal marriage ceremony, fusing the traditional and the contemporary.

The order of service reveals the soul classic Stand By Me by Ben E King will echo around the 15th century St George's chapel, performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir.

Harry will also wear a ring, while the wording of the service is more contemporary than traditional.

Meghan Markle arrives with her mother Doria Ragland at Cliveden House hotel on the eve of her wedding
AFP/Getty Images

Recent royal tradition has been for royal brides not to pledge to obey their husbands.

The Duchess of Cambridge did not in 2011, and neither did Harry's mother the Princess of Wales in 1981 when she married the Prince of Wales.

Royal wedding order of service

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The gospel choir will perform Etta James' uplifting version of Amen/This Little Light of Mine – a favourite in African-American churches – as the newlyweds leave the chapel.

The service will also feature English Baroque composer William Boyce's Symphony no 1 in B flat.

The schedule for the big day


0900 - Members of the public who have been invited to watch the wedding day from the grounds of Windsor Castle begin to arrive.

0930-1100 - Wedding guests arrive at the Castle's famous Round Tower by coach and enter the chapel through the South Door and take their seats.

1120 - Members of the royal family begin to arrive and enter via the Galilee Porch, some on foot and others by car.

1140 - Harry and best man the Duke of Cambridge arrive at the chapel's west door, received by the Dean of Windsor. They will probably arrive on foot, walking past the thousands of spectators invited into the grounds of the castle. The moment will give Harry the chance to acknowledge the 200 representatives from charities he is associated with gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister at the bottom of the steps.

1142 - Ms Markle's mother Doria Ragland arrives at the Galilee Porch and is received by the Dean of Windsor.

1145 - The Prince of Wales arrives at the Galilee Porch.

1152 - Following protocol, the Queen will be the last member of the royal family to arrive for the wedding service.

1159 - Ms Markle arrives at the Chapel's West Steps by car, from her overnight accommodation at the Cliveden House Hotel in Taplow, Berkshire. Ms Markle will walk through the Nave on her own followed by her bridesmaids and pageboys who include Princess Charlotte and Prince George, before being accompanied by Charles down the aisle of the Quire.

1200 - Service begins.

1300 - Service ends and the newlyweds emerge at the West Steps of the Chapel. They will be waved off on their carriage procession through Windsor by members of both families. The congregation will file out of the chapel to see the married couple leave before heading to St George's Hall for a lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen.

1305 - The carriage procession through the streets of Windsor possibly begins around this time, taking 25 minutes.

1900 - Bride and groom depart Windsor Castle for the evening reception at Frogmore House, hosted by the Prince of Wales.

Although the ceremony in the gothic surrounds of Windsor Castle's chapel is deeply religious, the service will use the words from the more up to date Marriage Service from Common Worship (2000), which features modern language, such as “you” rather than “thee” or “thou”.

The prince and his former actress bride will pledge themselves to one another "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part".

In The Declarations part of the service, they will also promise to love, comfort, honour, and protect one another and be faithful to one another for the rest of their lives.

The 600-strong congregation, which will include the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, will be asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury: "Will you, the families and friends of Harry and Meghan, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?"

The guests will answer: "We will".

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

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Welsh rugby anthem Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer – otherwise known as Bread of Heaven – is among the hymns – likely to have been chosen by rugby fan Harry.

He is a prince of Wales, but is actually patron of England's Rugby Football Union, while brother and best man the Duke of Cambridge is royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

Harry and Meghan's vows:

The Archbishop of Canterbury: "Harry and Meghan, I now invite you to join hands and make your vows, in the presence of God and his people."

The Bride and Bridegroom face each other and join hands.

The Bridegroom says: "I Harry, take you, Meghan, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

The Bride says: "I Meghan, take you, Harry, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

With Meghan's father Thomas Markle pulling out of attending the wedding due to ill health just two days before the big day, the Order of Service still makes reference to Mr Markle escorting his daughter through the Quire.

This duty will now be performed by her soon-to-be father in law, the Prince of Wales, while Mr Markle is thousands of miles away in Mexico.

There was not enough time to reprint the 600 copies of the 20-page A4 Order of Service.

Diana, Princess of Wales' sister Lady Jane Fellowes will deliver a reading from the Song of Solomon, which stresses the strength and power of love, with Harry and Meghan wanting the family of the prince's late mother to play a role on the day.

Kensington Palace said the couple had thought carefully about the music and hymns and other parts of the ceremony, and also turned to Charles for help.

"Like any couple getting married, Prince Harry and Ms Markle have taken a great deal of care in selecting all elements for their service," the palace said.

"This has been a collaborative effort led by Prince Harry and Ms Markle.

"They have also sought the advice of the Prince of Wales for the orchestral music before the Service begins."

Music before the service includes Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Greensleeves and Elgar's Chanson de Matin.

In keeping with royal wedding tradition, the National Anthem will be played at the end.

Royal Wedding rehearsal - In pictures

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