IT IS one of the most talked about events of the year.

Prince Harry will marry actress and humanitarian Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on Saturday, May 19.

But while the happy couple prepare to tie the knot, residents across Hampshire are busy preparing their street celebrations.

Councils across the county and in Southampton are preparing to shut off more than a dozen roads to accommodate street parties.

Winchester will be the area’s ‘royal wedding’ capital, with six street parties in the city, and three in surrounding villages.

Four street parties will be held in Southampton on Saturday, with a further two on Sunday.

Eastleigh and the New Forest will also have a number street parties, although there are no planned road closures in Test Valley or Fareham.

Hampshire’s biggest party by far will be held at Winchester Cathedral, where the royal wedding will be screened live.

The event is free to attend, although tickets must be booked in advance.

Celebrations will continue until 5pm in the historic Outer Close, with a number of family-friendly activities being held.

Dean Catherine Ogle said “As this is a joyous Christian wedding we feel opening up Winchester’s great Cathedral for people to gather together and share the joy of this new beginning and national event in community.”

Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, the Queen’s personal representative in the county, said: “The royal wedding has created a real buzz around the country and I am delighted that there are so many events across Hampshire to celebrate this wonderful event.

“It is exciting to know that the Hampshire will be represented in Windsor by several local residents on the day of the wedding.”

Ahead of the ceremony, the BBC has announced it will waive the television licence fee for communities which means street parties and other special events can screen the wedding live without buying a licence.

Meanwhile, the Royal Mint has created an official coin to commemorate the wedding.

The coin shows the couple “looking lovingly into each other’s eyes”, highlighting “the easy familiarity and connection between the royal duo”, said Royal Mint chief executive Anne Jessopp.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says hundreds of street party applications have been made to councils to mark the wedding.

The departments say 60 applications have been made in Bromley, south east London, 54 in Richmond, west London, and 12 in Reading, Berkshire.

It is estimated that around 10 million people got involved in street parties in 1977 for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth.

In 2011, Kent held the largest number of street celebrations for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The county was followed by Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, and South Gloucestershire, according to figures from the campaign group Republic.

Today, Bristol is regarded as the nation’s ‘street party capital’, with more than 100 events taking place each year. Other party-happy cities include Oxford, Brighton, and Southampton.

LIST OF ROAD CLOSURES FOR STREET PARTIES

Southampton

  • Strafford Road, Freemantle
  • Luccombe Place, Upper Shirley (Sunday)
  • Priory Road, St Deny's
  • Longmore Avenue, Woolston (Sunday)
  • Chatsworth Road, Bitterne
  • Juniper Road, Bitterne

Winchester

  • Christchurch Road, Winchester
  • Eastgate Street, Winchester,
  • Grange Close, Winchester
  • Olivers Battery Road North, Winchester
  • Queen Street, Winchester
  • St Faiths Road, Winchester
  • St Johns Road, Winchester
  • The Crescent, Brambridge
  • A street party held at the Village Hall in Bighton, Alresford required a Temporary Events Notice from Winchester City Council

Eastleigh

New Forest

  • High Street, Ringwood, between its junction with Kings Arms Lane and its junction with Market Place
  • Market Place, Ringwood, between its junction with West Street and its junction with High Street (including spurs to church)
  • Meeting House Lane, Ringwood, between its junction with The Furlong and its junction with High Street