Crowds of well-wishers cheered Britain’s Prince Harry as he made an impromptu walkabout on Friday outside the ancient walls of Windsor Castle on the eve of his wedding to Meghan Markle.
Queen Elizabeth’s grandson was joined by Prince William, his elder brother and best man, as he mingled with excited fans waving red, white and blue Union flags less than 24 hours before Saturday’s lavish ceremony.
One fan handed the prince a teddy bear during the 10-minute excursion before the brothers waved to the royal fans chanting “We want Harry!” and returned to the castle. They were due to spend the night in a luxury hotel nearby.
WATCH BELOW: Meghan Markle spotted arriving with her mother at Cliveden House Hotel before wedding
“I’m gobsmacked. He was so lovely. I can’t get over he shook our hands,” said Thelma Speed, 89.
Her daughter Deborah Goodes, 60, who named one of her sons after the prince, was equally smitten.
“I’ve seen him on the television, but in the flesh he looked really great,” she said. “I can see why she’s marrying him.”
The walkabout in open-necked shirts came as the last touches were put in place for the royal extravaganza at the castle, to the west of London and home to monarchs for almost 1,000 years.
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WATCHING THE ROYAL WEDDING LIVE? Here’s the schedule
On Saturday, May 19 at 4:30 a.m. ET/ 1:30 a.m. PT, Global’s coverage kicks into high gear with special Harry & Meghan: Their Love Story, hosted by Cheryl Hickey and Dawna Friesen. The one-hour show takes a closer look at the couple’s whirlwind romance. From their secret rendezvous in Toronto to Markle taking a leap of faith by hopping the pond, the special features interviews with royal and celebrity insiders Andrew Morton, Katie Nicholl and Shinan Govani.
Global’s wedding day coverage continues live at 5:30 a.m. ET/ 2:30 a.m. PT with Harry & Meghan: The Royal Wedding, broadcasting live from Windsor, U.K. with hosts Cheryl Hickey, Sangita Patel and Dawna Friesen, who are joined by special guest Ross Mathews (Celebrity Big Brother). With expert celebrity knowledge, comedic flair and a love of all things pop culture, Mathews is the perfect complement to co-host the five-and-a-half hour program.
Along with drop-in guests including royal expert and author Phil Dampier and powerhouse celebrity publicist Simon Jones, the broadcast will chronicle all the details of the royal wedding, including the procession to St George’s Chapel and Markle walking down the aisle.
Coverage of the event continues into the evening with the final U.K. edition of Global National recapping the day at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Then, the highly anticipated movie Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on W Network, kicking off the specialty network’s Always & Forever event of four weekends filled with back-to-back wedding-themed movies celebrating the newlyweds.
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(You can watch the video of the princes, top.)
Check out this interactive family tree to learn more about the royal family: