Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Windsor Castle Wedding Helped Boost Record Visitors to Palaces
The royal weddings of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank helped boost record numbers of visitors to the palaces in Britain, according to Royal Collection Trust‘s annual report.
Windsor Castle received more than 1.7 million visitors, many of whom wanted to see the venue where the two weddings took place and view exhibits of Meghan and Eugenie’s gowns.
The royal couples both tied the knot in the castle’s St. George’s Chapel and had their receptions in the state apartments.
The Windsor figures helped bring the numbers of visitors up to a record 3.3 million across all the residences that are open to the public. Buckingham Palace had almost 573,000 visitors to its summer opening, which was themed around the 70th birthday of Prince Charles last year.
In October, visitors were able to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding outfits on display at Windsor Castle, while a similar exhibit was introduced in March celebrating Eugenie’s wedding. Harry and Meghan’s exhibit, which comes with audio commentary about their plans for the day, has now moved to Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
Around 455,000 people toured the palace in the Scottish capital, setting another record, according to Royal Collection Trust.
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The trust, which manages the Royal Collection and organizes the visitor experiences and the sales from palace shops, also says they had the highest number of retail sales and there were an unprecedented 22 different exhibitions offered.
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This has all taken place amid the backdrop of the ongoing 10-year $460 million program of renovations around Buckingham Palace, where outdated electrical wiring, plumbing and other crucial works are taking place. As the improvements take place, art and antiquities are being re-housed around the various palaces.
