National Geographic Takes Viewers Behind the Scenes of the Royal Wedding with Rare and Exclusive Access at the Biggest Event of the Year

As the highly anticipated nuptials of Prince HARRY and Meghan Markle rapidly approach, National Geographic marks the celebratory occasion with the premiere of two royal specials premiering this May. With rare inside access, National Geographic will tell the behind-the-scenes story of the kingdom-wide efforts being made in advance of this historic occasion.

All eyes will be on the picturesque Royal Borough of Windsor on May 19th as 600 wedding guests and the entire world attentively watch the regal affair. Premiering Wednesday, May 23, at 9/8c, just days after the wedding, OPERATION ROYAL WEDDING reveals what it takes to pull off the biggest event of the year, casting a light on the myriad UNSUNG heroes who ensure every detail of the modern-day fairy-tale wedding is perfect. From the exquisite ceremonial garments, to the extraordinary undertaking of ensuring the town of Windsor itself is royal ready, the wedding extravaganza would be impossible without this assembly of devoted people working tirelessly behind the scenes on the meticulous arrangements for the grand ceremony.

It truly takes a village to pull off a celebration of this caliber. OPERATION ROYAL WEDDING unveils the whirlwind of preparations made to bring this momentous occasion to life with exclusive, unprecedented access to some of the key players involved in the event. Participation in the royal wedding, even behind the scenes, is a closely guarded secret that will only be revealed on the big day; however, National Geographic can reveal rare access to some of the organizers who are helping bring everything together for the big day:

· Britain's Pageantmaster Dominic Reid OBE: Event organizer extraordinaire, Dominic Reid is the 'go-to' man when it comes to staging the biggest and best ceremonial and Royal events in the UK, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee and The Lord Mayor's Show. Reid has a close working relationship with Prince HARRY through his role as Chief Executive of the Invictus Foundation.

· The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby: As the head of the Church of England, the Archbishop will officiate the service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

· Organizer of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Simon-Brooks Ward and Site Manager Colin Rayner: The highly experienced Brooks-Ward and Rayner coordinate the immense team that will have just 36 HOURS to transform Windsor Home Park from a horse show to a global event expected to attract more than 100,000 royal well wishers.

· Osborne House: Tradition dictates that a sprig of myrtle from the garden of Queen Victoria's holiday home on the Isle of Wight is used in royal bridal bouquets. This dates back to the Victorian era. The flower itself symbolizes love and unity.

Leading up to the wedding, National Geographic will also premiere PRINCE HARRY'S STORY: FOUR ROYAL WEDDINGS, which charts Harry's journey from a childhood touched by grief, through active service as a soldier in Afghanistan and his international charity work, to his upcoming wedding to the girl of his dreams through the prism of the most important turning points in his life. The one-hour special focuses on the marriages of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales; Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; and Prince Harry's own upcoming wedding to Meghan Markle. Featuring stunning royal footage, dramatic newsreels and insightful and entertaining commentary from royal sources, historians and journalists, PRINCE HARRY'S STORY: FOUR ROYAL WEDDINGS traces the transformation of the beloved prince.

OPERATION ROYAL WEDDING is produced by Spun Gold TV for National Geographic. For Spun Gold, Nick Bullen and Gary Broadhurst are executive producers. For National Geographic, Bernadette McDaid is executive producer. Hamish Mykura is executive vice president of programming and development.

PRINCE HARRY: FOUR ROYAL WEDDINGS is produced by Spun Gold TV and distributed by All3Media International. For Spun Gold, Juliet Rice is executive producer. For All3Media International, Maria Ishak is VP Sales, North America. For National Geographic, Tim Pastore is president of original programming and production.

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About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an UNRIVALED portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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