The Prince of Wales’s wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles tonight disrupted the racing world as Aintree organisers decided to delay the start of the world famous Grand National.
One of horse racing’s favourite events is to be pushed back by 25 minutes on Saturday because its coverage clashed with that of the heir to the throne’s big day.
Charles and Camilla switched their wedding at the last minute yesterday from Friday to Saturday because it coincided with the Pope’s funeral in Rome.
The famous ten-minute steeplechase, with its notoriously difficult Becher’s Brook jump, traditionally begins at 3.45pm, but will now run at 4.10pm.
Charles and Camilla are expected to emerge from Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel at around 3.15pm after their blessing which starts at 2.30pm.
But the BBC’s coverage of the wedding day carries on until 3.30pm, which would have overlapped with the all-important build up to the Grand National.
Charles Barnett, managing director at Aintree, said: “We have made this decision in consultation with the BBC in order to offer members of the public the best possible afternoon’s viewing.”
At 3.30pm, BBC1 will go live to Aintree to cover the popular race. The previous races will be shown on BBC2.
The Grand National is watched by an estimated worldwide audience of 600 million people.
It was last postponed in 1997, when an IRA bomb scare prompted the evacuation of Aintree. The race was run two days later.
Ladbrokes called the change “unprecedented”, but predicted that more punters would now have a flutter, increasing the bookies’ turnover.
A Clarence House spokesman said the decision was taken by the BBC and Aintree and that he had no further comment to make.
The Queen, an avid racing fan, will still not be able to catch the race because she will be hosting a reception at the same time for the Prince and her new daughter in law.
The future King and his fiancee are being slotted in at 12.30pm for their Guildhall civil ceremony ahead of three other brides and grooms.
They will marry just an hour and a half before Grace Beesley and Fraser Moores, who have insisted the Prince would have to work around them.
Security costs for the big day are reportedly set to rise dramatically following the change in plans after officers had to be drafted in at short notice to work on double-pay on days off.
It was also suggested that senior police commanders were holding urgent meetings to sort out the logistical problems created by the postponement.
Punters can now place bets on the next catastrophe to hit the beleaguered wedding.
William Hill is offering odds of 33-1 for Camilla to stand Charles up on the day and 40-1 for the Prince to do the same.
A last-minute ultimatum from the Queen threatening to disinherit her son if the marriage goes ahead is set at 100-1.
The civil ceremony is taking place an hour earlier than it would have started on Friday.
The 30 guests which include all senior royals except the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will now have to wait an hour and a half between the end of the wedding and the start of the service of prayer and dedication.
Paddy Harverson, the Prince’s Communications Secretary, said the 750 guests attending the chapel prayer service would not have to wait for longer than planned.
“There are only 30 guests attending the 12.30 service. They are all family and friends and will go to the Castle to relax before the blessing,” he said.
Mr Harverson insisted there would be no disruption to Miss Beesley and Mr Moores and the two other couples.
“Their guests will be able to get in and out quite happily,” he said.
Thames Valley Police was holding meetings to establish how to accommodate the other weddings.
Roads around Windsor will be closed from 7.30am and Clarence House is expecting scores of media to descend on the town.
On Friday – the original royal wedding day – the Prince is travelling to Rome to pay his respects to the Pope alongside world leaders.
Today, Charles looked relaxed as he attended the consecration of a Buddhist monument in Harewood House, near Leeds.
Some wellwishers shouted “Good luck for Saturday” but Charles made no mention of his nuptials.
The issue of stamps commemorating the Royal marriage has also been put back until from Friday until Saturday.