Royal wedding finishing touches under way

Final preparations are taking place on the eve of Saturday’s royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Ms Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, will meet the Queen for the first time at Windsor Castle later, accompanied by her daughter and future son-in-law.

Ms Ragland has already been introduced to some of the Windsors – including Prince Charles and Prince William.

It remains unclear who will walk Ms Markle down the aisle of St George’s Chapel, as her father will not attend.

Ms Markle, 36, released a statement on Thursday confirming her father would not attend the wedding and saying she hoped he could be given space to focus on his health.

Ms Markle and Prince Harry were in Windsor on Thursday to prepare for the big day.

Further details on the wedding cake have been revealed.

Its baker, Claire Ptak said it would be presented in a “non-traditional” way, displayed in a special “installation”.

The layered lemon and elderflower cake will be served to 600 guests at the afternoon reception at Windsor Castle.

The owner of Violet Bakery in east London described the cake as “a slight shift from tradition”.

She has been baking with the help of a team of six people for five days in the Buckingham Palace kitchens.

Some 200 Amalfi lemons are being used in the recipe, as well as 10 bottles of cordial made using elderflower from the Queen’s Sandringham estate.

She has not made a back up cake in case of a disaster – “It’s cake. It can’t go that wrong,” she said.

Family arrive

Other members of the Royal Family are also in Windsor ahead of the wedding, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Ms Markle’s mother met William and Catherine and their eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at Windsor Castle on Thursday afternoon.

She took tea with Prince Charles and Camilla at Clarence House in London on Wednesday.

Thomas Markle’s absence leaves a question mark over who will walk Ms Markle down the aisle.

Her mother is one option; Harry’s father, Prince Charles, is another – or she could choose to walk alone.