Royal wedding to clash with the FA Cup Final on Saturday May 19

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen Saturday May 19 2018 as their wedding date, throwing up a clash with the FA Cup Final.

It means Football Association President Prince William will be unable to attend the showpiece final as customary at Wembley.

The Duke of Cambridge, who has held his position at the FA since 2006, usually presents the trophy and medals at the final of football's oldest competition.

But this year, the Aston Villa fan, who is tipped to be Prince Harry's best man, will be otherwise engaged with wedding duties.

“His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle will marry on 19th May 2018,” said Kensington Palace.

“Today's announcement follows earlier confirmation of the month of the wedding and its location at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.”

Harry and Ms Markle have gone against tradition by choosing a Saturday as royal weddings usually take place on a weekday.

But Harry and his fiancee's choice avoids the issue of whether the royal celebration should be a bank holiday.

It also means the wedding will not be too close to the Duchess of Cambridge’s due date. Kate is due to give birth to her third child in April.

They have also avoided other potential clashes, including Princess Charlotte’s birthday on 2 May and local government elections on 3 May. 

Kensington Palace say the couple “want the day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too and are currently working through ideas for how this might be achieved”.

“This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom,” they added.