What to Watch Before the Royal Wedding

On Saturday, May 19, 2018, Prince Harry will marry American actress Meghan Markle in what is the most eagerly anticipated royal wedding since his older brother married Kate Middleton in 2011. Harry and Meghan’s wedding will be in Windsor, a town a few miles outside of London with deep royal roots – Windsor Castle is one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite residences and the compound includes St. George’s Chapel, the royal stage where bride and groom will say “I do.”

Interest in this wedding has reached a fever pitch, especially since the bride is a biracial American who is expected to be a breath of fresh air for the royal family. If you haven’t had time to keep up with all the specials about the upcoming wedding, take a deep breath and read on – we’ve got you covered and can help you get caught up before the big day.

Royal Wedding Watch – PBS

The home of Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, and Downton Abbey is all in on the Royal Wedding. If you have time to watch only one series about the wedding, make it this one – it’s a fantastic primer on all things connected to the upcoming nuptials. Hosts Meredith Vieira (American) and Matt Baker (British) bring a whimsical, transatlantic sensibility to this one, and it strikes the right balance between fun and facts. For each episode Meredith and Matt welcome a trio of experts, ranging from Windsor insiders to royal journalists and fashion editors. Indeed, the team surrounding Meredith and Matt is consistently excellent. Reporting from the streets of Windsor, Anita Rani forms a charming rapport with locals who are preparing for the wedding and eager royal watchers who have already camped out on the street; frequent PBS contributor Lucy Worsley provides engaging historical context as she talks about royal weddings of yore; and food anthropologist Kaori O’Connor dishes about the royal wedding spreads. There are a total of five episodes, each focusing on a different aspect of the wedding.
Stream Royal Wedding Watch here

Meghan Markle: American Princess – CBS

If you know next to nothing about Meghan Markle, start here. The CBS special covers all of its bases, even speaking to some of Meghan’s sorority sisters from her days at Northwestern University. This program doesn’t drop any bombshells, but it does provide a nice introduction to the woman who captured Prince Harry’s heart and the world’s interest.
Stream Meghan Markle: American Princess here

Meghan Markle: An American Princess – Fox
The CBS and Fox specials may have nearly identical names, but the CBS show hit the small screen a few weeks before Fox’s offering. But the difference is Meghan Markle: An American Princess is super exhaustive – Fox pulled out all the stops for this one. Sprinkled with gossipy fun, Meghan Markle: An American Princess clocks in at just shy of 90 minutes to introduce the bride-to-be to audiences and regale us with tantalizing tidbits – like Piers Morgan claiming that the last time he met Meghan, she was fielding texts from Prince Harry. This one, however, gives way too much screen time to Meghan’s scheming sister Samantha, who has been stirring the pot ever since it was revealed that she did not get a wedding invite.
Stream Meghan Markle: An American Princess here

Million Dollar American Princesses: Meghan Markle – Smithsonian
If you like your royal specials with a heaping dose of historical context, then this one’s for you. The program provides the bread-and-butter details about Meghan Markle’s life and her relationship with Harry. But, unlike many of the other wedding specials, this one looks back at other Americans who have married into royal families, from Hollywood elites Grace Kelly and Rita Hayworth to the pride of Baltimore Wallis Simpson.
Stream Million Dollar American Princesses: Meghan Markle here

Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance – Lifetime

Following the success of its 2011 fictionalization of the relationship between Prince William and then-Kate Middleton, Lifetime presents its latest royal offering to the world: Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance. Though the show does take some liberties and raises some eyebrows – Harry and Meghan in bed together! – it is totally watchable and did an excellent job casting the romantic leads. Murray Fraser totally nails Harry’s way of speaking and Parisa Fitz-Henley brings Meghan’s sparkle to the screen.
Stream Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance here

Inside the Royal Wedding: Harry & Meghan – NBC
NBC gives the best of both worlds by focusing on Harry and Meghan’s romance as well as details about the wedding itself. It’s a nice snapshot that covers some of the same ground as the PBS series, but in a smaller bite.
Stream Inside the Royal Wedding: Harry & Meghan here

Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy – HBO

While many of the specials on this list focus on Meghan Markle, this special from last summer gives some insight about Prince Harry himself. Certainly the biggest turning point in Harry’s life was the loss of his mother Princess Diana in August 1997 when he was only 12 years old. In this program, Princes William and Harry speak openly about their mother and her tragic, untimely death. It’s an important perspective on Harry, his emotional world, and what his mother’s legacy means to him.
Stream Diana, Out Mother: Her Life and Legacy here

Monarchy: The Royals at Work – Netflix
No, this isn’t remotely about the royal wedding; it was filmed nearly a decade before Harry and Meghan even met. It’s also hard to track down since it’s available as a DVD from Netflix. But it’s worth the search – this happens to be one of the best documentaries about the royal family ever produced. Following the Windsors in their day-to-day duties, this program offers a glimpse into what Meghan Markle’s life will be like and what will be expected of her when she joins “The Firm.” So go ahead and order it now so that you have it on hand to help you through your inevitable Royal Wedding withdrawal next week.
Rent Monarchy: The Royals at Work here

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Anwar Hussein/Getty Images via PBS