Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Tie Their Knot; U.K. Prepares For Prince Harry And Meghan's Nuptials; Prince Harry To Marry Meghan Markle Saturday; Harry And Meghan Skip Tradition For Wedding Cake.
NATALIE ALLEN, HOST, CNN: Hello and welcome to our viewers from around the world. What is going to be a big weekend for one couple and all of us watching. I'm Natalie Allen.</s>GEORGE HOWELL, HOST, CNN: And I'm George Howell. As Natalie alluded to, a lot to cover today of course, including preps for the royal wedding where CNN is live.</s>ISHA SESAY, HOST, CNN: I'm Isha Sesay. In Windsor, England just one day to go and the world will be watching as Prince Harry weds his American fiance Meghan Markle.</s>HOWELL: Also this hour, President Trump's new message to Kim Jong-un. We'll tell you about it.</s>ALLEN: And the new eruption in Hawaii that sent ash nine kilometers into the air. CNN Newsroom starts right now.</s>SESYA: Well, struck when you're fascinated and chill your champagne. It's almost time for a royal wedding. Just a day from now, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will exchange vows and greet their excited fans in a procession around town. On Thursday, the British armed forces put on a show rehearsing parade routes but all the anticipation is tempered by some of the sad news for Meghan Markle. She released a statement saying her father will not be attending the wedding due to health occurrence. No word yet on who will walk the bride down the chapel aisle in Windsor Castle, but regardless she is looking forward to the big day. The couple also are asking guest and well wishers to donate to one of their favorite charities instead of buying presents. The U.S. president and his wife will be among those making a contribution. Well, in just a few hour, Meghan Markle's mother is set to mean -- meet, rather Queen Elizabeth in Windsor Castle. CN's Anna Stewart now there with the very latest. Anna, what do we know about this meeting, what details are emerging?</s>ANNA STEWART, PRODUCER, CNN: Well, Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother will be coming here to Windsor Castle and she'll be meeting Her majesty the Queen in her private apartment. Obviously she'll be joined by her daughter, Meghan and Prince Harry and this meeting comes after she already net some of the in laws yesterday in London. Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwell, plus Prince William and Kate and the two -- well, two of the three kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte all met Doria Ragland yesterday over tea, hopefully a high tea with scones and clotted cream. But yesterday it will be Windsor Castle. We're not quite sure what time but we will be keeping our eyes peeled for a car arriving yesterday. Of course, yesterday, Harry and Meghan made a slight surprise appearance, they rolled up to Windsor Castle just after the military procession rehearsal had ended. We weren't really expecting they may show pass. So we will be keeping our eyes peeled this time for sighting of Harry, Meghan and Meghan's mother.</s>SESAY: Yes, we'll not get past to you, Anna Stewart. In terms of meetings with Meghan's mother, obviously this is the first meeting with the queen, but how much interaction has there between Doria Ragland and Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla and Prince and Catherine? What do we know?</s>STEWART: Well, as far as we're aware that was actually the first meeting yesterday. Of course, Prince Harry himself has met Doria before. He hasn't met Meghan's father, Thomas Markle. And it's quite extraordinary when you think about that he won't meet the father of his bride until after he's actually married now since Thomas Markle has to stay in the U.S. following his surgery.</s>SESAY: And around town, around Windsor, I know you have been out and about. Give me a sense of the mood, give me a sense of how things are shaping up. I know there was a rehearsal on Thursday.</s>STEWART: Yes. You see I'm not on the Windsor Castle grounds having a lovely regal time away from the crowds, but the last few days I have been out in town and it has been insane. I have seen dogs with union jacks. I just saw a guy actually as I was going my morning coffee, a guy who was clearing the rubbish with a crown on. You see the whole town is gone crazy, the fans have been camping here already for three nights and it's pretty chilly as you probably discovered over there. But not everybody is happy. There are a few locals who like to have a moan, but it wouldn't be Britain without them. Take a listen to what they had to say.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are they going to the toilet?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is costing the nation I should say an awful lot of money, isn't it?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When it was the queen's birthday a few years ago, they had some guy in the dress with a beard who tried to get into the party.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will get the extremists.</s>STEWART: Worries about toilets, worries about the money, worries about strange people in town. But most of Windsor is excited, Isha.</s>SESAY: Good to know. Good to know. Again, it wouldn't be Britain without a little bit of complaining and that's why we love it. Anna Stewart joining us there form the grounds of Windsor Castle, still trying to figure out how you got in there, but we're pleased you were there. We'll check in later. All right. Well, for months Prince Harry and Megham Markle's romance has fascinated the world. Much of it has to do with the bride's identity as a biracial American actress. And that sparked a conversation about race relations here in the United Kingdom. Jason Carroll reports.</s>JASON CARROLL, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Brixton it's a district of south London where you'll find black, Asian, and white cultures all in one neighborhood. It's a place Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have visited before. Markle is celebrated here like in much of Great Britain and because she is biracial her marriage to Prince Harry has also inspired discussion about race relations.</s>CARROLL: Raise your hand, does everyone about who Meghan Markle is?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>CARROLL: These elementary school girls in Brixton are well aware this is the first for the royals.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's frightening because she is one of the first black people to go, to join the royal family.</s>CARROLL: Did you, did any of you ever think that you could grow up and perhaps marry into a royal family. Was that something that any of you even actually thought of?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.</s>CARROLL: Why not?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And not many like mixed race black people can join the royal family.</s>CARROLL: Do you think it's a good thing?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>CARROLL: Why is that?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it just shows you that anyone can marry into the royal family.</s>CARROLL: A recent study found a little more than half of those polled in the U.K. say race shouldn't matter in the royal marriage. Seventy five percent say they would feel comfortable if their children married someone of a different race. But a government study also found a 27 percent increase in hate crimes in the past two years. Steadman Scott has lived in Brixton for some 50 years.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a problem into this country and that is color for me. There was a problem of we are fortress.</s>CARROLL: There have been a number of negative public comments and headlines made about the Markle family and their background. Take this one in the daily Mail. It reads, "Harry's girl is almost straight out of Compton." And then there was the comment made by the sister of the U.K.'s foreign secretary. It reads, "Ms. Markle's mother is a dreadlocked African-American lady from the wrong side of the tracks." At one point, Prince Harry stepped in to defend Markle and her family. In a statement his communication secretary cited, "The racial undertones of comment pieces and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments." Sunder Katwala conducted that recent study on race in the U.K.</s>CARROLL: What did you make of some of the horrific things that the British press were writing about Meghan Markle?</s>SUNDER KATWALA, DIRECTOR, BRITISH FUTURE: Racism is still there in British society but it was seen quite a lot especially across the generations.</s>CARROLL: And though these girls never expected to see a mixed race bride in the royal family, they see their marriage as a sign of hope.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it will make a difference lightly because like some people like being racist of the people because of their color and because Meghan Markle is joining the royal family I think it might make them change their mind.</s>CARROLL: Jason Carroll, Brixton, London.</s>SESAY: Well, I'm joined now by Richard Fitzwilliams, he is a public relations consultant and mostly importantly today an expert in all things royal. Richard, good to have you with us again. Coming out of this report by our own Jason Carroll looking at race relations and Meghan Markle's impact on them, I mean, how do you see the road ahead for her? I mean, one of the things I've been thinking about is where the issue of race or will it be class that it's a bigger challenge for her as she navigates this new -- this new road as a royal?</s>RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Well, you're right of course, in fact, she is biracial and proud of it is tremendously significant. It also shows of members or senior members of the British royal family of long last can marry for love of your soul as (Inaudible) in 2011. Do you remember Charles and Diana were in the nightmarish marriage before, so they learned. But I think Meghan will be a role model for persons of color because the royal family can seem someone too remote and there's no question this is very important. It's British seismic, actually. Also if we look at the fact that Meghan and Harry have so many charitable intentions and they will be so high profile. In fact, they will be in the news pretty well nonstop. There's call abroad that both common wealth youth ambassadors with Prince Charles, it wasn't at all dramatic becoming the next head of the commonwealth succeeding the queen. This will mean that British monarch as head of the commonwealth still has this very, very significant cache and it will also mean that Harry and Meghan have a very important role to play there. And the racial issue, in fact, persons of color in the commonwealth have someone that they can identify with will be very considerably important.</s>SESAY: Interesting. Moving to what's happening today, we know that Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother is meeting with the queen for the very first time. Talk to me about your expectation for that meeting and how it will be conducted the level of formality attach to it.</s>FITZWILLIAMS: There is always a level of formality when you meet the queen, but equally the queen is wonderful at putting everybody at their ease. It's one of the characteristics of being a member of the royal family. That meetings that they can be shot always remember, there's something people remember all their lives. But this is a truly historic encounter and I would love to be a fly on the wall while it's taking place.</s>SESAY: I'm interested in terms of the relationship that they'll be looking to build here. I mean, is it one of just, I don't know, monarch and mother of my grandson's wife or is this about building a real bond here?</s>FITZWILLIAMS: Well, what we have is our first American princess. Everybody knows that the relations between Britain and America are so significant, but also how significant will the relationship between Doria Raglans and the royal be in the future? We have seen how the Middletons have been part and parcel of William and Kate's life. Their previous parents of royal brides, the Fergusons, Rhys-Jones in the past were not. So we will have to see how this develops. And I think that the queen is absolutely delighted that Prince Harry having admitted in fact, in several articles which were pretty unique how troubled some of the last 20 years have been for him.</s>SESAY: Yes.</s>FITZWILLIAMS: The fact that he's found a soul mate, I think can say if I may as it were use Shakespeare that Meghan and Harry are contemporary star--</s>SESAY: We love it when you quote Shakespeare here, Richard. We really do. To talk about the big day itself, 600 guests, I believe at St. George's Chapel which is just behind us here. We can just make it out. Talk to me about the guest list. Any surprises? Who will you be looking out for? Talk to me about everything, I know you spent a lot of time thinking about.</s>FITZWILLIAMS: Well, yes. Because it is exciting because these are guests who have personal links to Harry and to Meghan knot. The state occasion it was in 1981 or the semi-state occasion it was in 2011. So I would expect to see that tennis star of all-stars, Serena Williams she'll be there, Jessica Mulroney, of course the designer of Meghan and a very close friend. I mean, three of Mulroney children are bride's maids and page boys and also of course, Violet von Westenholz (Inaudible) have introduce them and that has been confirmed, and Markus Anderson from Soho House another. But we all recognize those. Elton John, David Furnish have rumored that they will in fact perform and don't forget the Spice Girls.</s>SESAY: You are very excited about the Spice Girls.</s>FITZWILLIAMS: Well, I am. I went to a Spice Girls concert five years ago and I'm very fond of them.</s>SESAY: Richard Fitzwilliams on that beautiful note, he brought so many images. We are going to leave it there and wish she'll go to get you to do the performance a rendition of one of their songs later on. Richard Fitzwilliams--</s>FITZWILLIAMS: I can. You are tempting.</s>SEAY: Yes. Not now. Richard, we appreciate it. Thank you. OK. Well, here's one more royal obsession that we are all thinking about excited on. The wedding cake Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are breaking with tradition by skipping, skipping the fruitcake, instead the cake will incorporate seasonal flavors. An American pastry chef living here in London is baking it. So what's in it? The chef explains.</s>CLAIRE PTAK, ROYAL CAKE DESIGNER: It tastes delicious, I hope. I think. We have a lemon sponge lemon curd filling and then elder flower Swiss cream butter cream which is a butter cream that's very light and fluffy. Kind of satiny and super delicious. So the texture is really lovely and the flavor is quintessential spring and British.</s>SESAY: It sounds yummy. And there is a bit of a mystery surrounding the creation final design. The chef has only said it will not, it will look like a traditional wedding cake. Well, CNN invite to be part of our special coverage of Harry and Meghan's big day. From the I do's to the dress we have it all covered for you. That's all on Saturday right here on CNN. And that's it from Windsor for now. George and Natalie, back to you. I know you will be getting your outfits ready for the big day.</s>ALLEN: We are. He's wearing a fascinator, but I'm not. But George (Inaudible).</s>HOWELL: Isha, Richard Fitzwilliams and the Spice Girls?</s>ALLEN: He's stealing the show from Meghan.</s>SESAY: Yes.</s>ALLEN: OK.</s>SESAY: Yes, you get it all here on the show. You get it all here.</s>ALLEN: All right. We'll see you in a little bit. Thank you, Isha. All right, we're going to have to bring it down and get back to the news.</s>HOWELL: It's confusing. Anyway.</s>ALLEN: Coming up, the summit between the U.S. and the Nor Korea has hit a bump, sort of. We'll tell you how the U.S. president hopes to reassure Pyongyang of the United States role in the meeting. Coming up.</s>HOWELL: Also ahead this hour. The special counsel Robert Mueller has been on the job now for exactly one year with apparently no end in sight to that investigation. We'll review what his team has uncovered so far. Stay with us.