UK royal wedding today

Prince Charles will be the one to walk Meghan Markle down the aisle when she marries his son Prince Harry, palace officials said yesterday as final preparations were under way on the eve of the royal wedding.

The bride had initially hoped her father Thomas Markle would take on the role, but confirmed Thursday he would not attend as he is recovering from a heart operation after being caught up in a paparazzi fiasco involving staged pictures.

Although many thought her mother Doria Ragland could step in, Kensington Palace said her future father-in-law would take on the responsibility at today's ceremony.

Markle's mum will on Friday meet Queen Elizabeth II for the first time at Windsor Castle, where the nuptials will take place.

In the weeks running up to the wedding, organisers have been caught off guard by the chaos surrounding the family of the bride-to-be, with palace staff referring to it as the "Markle Debacle", Britain's Daily Mirror reported.

Despite the pre-ceremony fiasco, Meghan was smiling as she arrived for Thursday's dress rehearsal involving military marches and a dry-run of the carriage procession that will whisk the couple around Windsor to greet the crowds after their wedding at St George's Chapel, in the castle grounds.

Meanwhile, Violet Bakery in east London yesterday was applying finishing touches to the "ethereal" lemon and elderflower wedding cake, which it said would be displayed in a special "installation", according to Kensington Palace.

Details about Markle's wedding dress remain a closely-guarded secret, and will not be revealed until the bride arrives for the service.

Diehard royalists have already started camping out in the town to secure the best viewing spots along the carriage route, with dozens expected to sleep on the streets overnight.

Despite the rocky build-up, at least Britain's unpredictable weather looks set to behave, with a forecast for clear skies and mild temperatures.