* PERMISSION TO MARRY
Unlike most couples who want to marry, things are trickier when you're a royal. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle needed official permission from his granny, the Queen, who reportedly obliged after having tea with the couple in October. The Royal Marriages Act 1772 originally required all royal descendants of George II to obtain the monarch's permission to marry, but the law was amended in 2011 so only the first six royals in line to the throne need permission. Harry and Meghan will also require a special wedding license from the Archbishop of Canterbury if they want to marry in a church because of her divorce from American film and TV producer Trevor Engelson. And as a foreign national, Ms Markle will need a fiancee settlement visa and a marriage visa.
* THE QUESTION OF A ROYAL MARRYING A DIVORCEE
In the past, a royal marrying a divorcee was frowned upon. The Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, ended her relationship with her divorced beau Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1955 after being told if they married she would have to give up her rights of succession. Their uncle King Edward VIII famously abdicated in 1936 to marry American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson. But times have changed. The Queen allowed Prince Charles to marry divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony in 2005. Ms Markle's marriage to Mr Engelson ended two years after the pair tied the knot in 2011. Westminster Abbey officials have indicated her divorce won't be an issue if she weds Prince Harry in a church.
* RELIGION AND ROYALTY
While Prince Harry is firmly ensconced as a member of Church of England thanks to his royal lineage, mystery surrounds the religious background of his fiancee. Ms Markle attended the Immaculate Heart High School, a private Catholic school for girls in Los Angeles, but she reportedly wasn't raised a Catholic. It's not known if her mother Doria Ragland, who is African American, follows a particular religion, while her father has been described as being Episcopalian. Some reports have speculated whether Ms Markle is Jewish, based on claims that at her first wedding she and her husband took part in the Hora (a traditional chair dance). Under the Act of Settlement 1701, royals in the direct line of succession were banned from marrying Catholics unless they gave up their right to the throne. Changes introduced in 2015 overturned that rule.
* LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Historically, the most traditional site for royal weddings has been the Chapel Royal at St James Palace, where five monarchs including Queen Victoria tied the knot. London's Westminster Abbey was the hot favourite for Harry to marry Ms Markle, with the prince following in the footstops of his brother Prince William who married Kate Middleton there in 2011. The Abbey has hosted five royal weddings since 1919, including the Queen's. Other potential venues mentioned in the British press included St Paul's Cathedral, which hosted the spectacular nuptials of Harry's parents Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, Edinburgh's Canongate Kirk, and Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
* FUTURE TITLES
Most women who marry royal male successors take on their husband's titles, in the same way Lady Diana Spencer became Diana, Princess of Wales upon marrying the Prince of Wales. Prince Charles' second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, however, adopted the title Duchess of Cornwall out of respect for Diana. Technically, Ms Markle will be a princess when she marries Harry. But he may receive a peerage from the Queen when he marries, just as Prince William received the hereditary title Duke of Cambridge, with his wife Kate becoming the Duchess of Cambridge. The newlyweds are tipped to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The title Duke of Sussex has only been used once before by Prince Augustus in the early 1800s. Other dukedom titles currently not in use are Clarence and Buckingham. However Clarence is considered unlikely because the previous Duke of Clarence, Queen Victoria's grandson Prince Albert Victor, was a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders.
* WEDDING DAY TRADITIONS
Bouquet - Myrtle has been in the bouquet of every royal bride since Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840
Ring - A tradition started by the Queen Mother when she married the future King George VI in 1923 was for royal wedding bands to be made from Welsh gold
Outfits - Harry is expected to don his military uniform, as per tradition for royal grooms
Cake - While fruit cake is a staple at royal weddings, Prince William also had a chocolate cake
Buckingham Palace balcony kiss - A much-loved tradition begun by Prince Charles and Princess Diana after their 1981 wedding.
