Rough sleepers in Windsor advised to move for Princess Eugenie's wedding
Rough sleepers are being advised to consider avoiding parts of Windsor town centre when Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council said it was telling homeless people to anticipate "higher footfall" in the area when festivities take place on Friday.
The newlyweds are expected to go on a carriage ride around the town after the ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the same venue as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s nuptials.
The council faced a backlash over plans to clear rough sleepers from the streets ahead of Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May and the proposals were eventually dropped.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has said it was not asking homeless people to leave the area ahead of Friday’s events.
"We have been advising them that the royal wedding is taking place on Friday, October 12, and due to their vulnerability they may want to move locations within the town centre where they may not be impacted by the anticipated higher footfall," it said.
"We are also providing safe storage of certain possessions. Homeless people will not be asked to remove themselves from the streets."
The Queen and the royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Sussexes, are expected to be out in force on Friday, alongside Eugenie’s parents the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York.
The Duchess of Cornwall is unable to attend, having a longstanding prior engagement at a school harvest festival in Scotland.
Celebrity guests are yet to be confirmed but those expected include former Take That singer Robbie Williams and his wife and fellow X Factor judge Ayda.
Other predictions have ranged from singer Ellie Goulding to supermodel Cindy Crawford and the Beckhams.
Italian singer-songwriter Andrea Bocelli will perform two pieces during the service, with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also featuring.
The wedding service will include a personal prayer written by Archbishop of York John Sentamu.
The Queen is hosting an afternoon reception afterwards in the castle’s St George’s Hall, but the festivities are expected to continue into the early hours with an evening party at the York family home, the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Republic, a campaigning group working for an elected head of state, has criticised the security cost to the taxpayer, saying estimates have put the bill at £2 million.