Royal wedding to be screened at Princess of Wales Theatre

You may not have gotten the invite to Windsor Castle for the royal wedding but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch the ceremony inside a stately venue named for a royal.

Theatre magnate David Mirvish has announced that the Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street will screen the highly-anticipated nuptials of Prince Harry and one-time Toronto resident Meghan Markle, beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

The theatre, which opened in 1993, is named for Prince’s Harry’s mother, and is believed to be the only venue in the world bearing her name.

“Last week David Mirvish came to us and said you know we should do something about the royal wedding, the theatre doesn’t have a show on that week – we begin Motown: The Musical the following week – so we have been scrambling to put it together and we have put it together,” Mirvish Productions spokesperson John Karastamatis told CP24 on Tuesday afternoon. “We are opening the doors of the theatre and we will be broadcasting it all on a big screen from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. so you will get all the arrivals, the ceremony and the exits.”

All those attending the viewing party are being urged to dress up in their best royal attire for the nuptials.

Karastamatis said that a free breakfast of baked goods and beverages will also be provided with wedding cupcakes to follow the vows.

He said that the Princess of Wales is a fitting venue for those wanting to watch the ceremony given its symbolic connection to Diana, Princess of Wales.

“At the time they really appreciated everything Diana did for the public,” he said of those responsible for naming the theatre. “She was the first person to hug and kiss an AIDS patient when people were very frightened by that. She was very instrumental in bringing to the forefront the mines in deserts and other places that were maiming and killing people. They really appreciated all the social justice issues she was behind.”

The first 220 vehicles to arrive in the theatre’s underground garage off John Street will be permitted to park for free.

The viewing party at the Princess of Wales Theatre is one of a number of special events that will be taking place across the city on Saturday.