THE royal wedding will be hit by bitter winds and possibly even snow as arctic weather sends temperatures plummeting across Britain, forecasters said yesterday.

The temperature in Windsor on Saturday, where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles will be married, is expected to be a chilly 6C (42.8F), which is well below the February average of 12C.

The return to wintry conditions is predicted to be most severe in parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and higher ground will see atrocious conditions setting in, according to the Met Office.

Forecasters say that the wintry blast will not last much longer than the wedding ceremony, with warmer spring weather expected by the end of the weekend.

An ICM poll has predicted that 18 million people will tune in for the Grand National, twice the number expected to watch the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

The research, for Ladbrokes, found that the Grand National will be watched by 36 per cent of adults. The wedding will be seen by 18 per cent.

Reporters have gained access to the grounds of Windsor Castle with a box marked BOMB in the back of their white van. They passed a security checkpoint and were allowed to drive in.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that the incident raised serious concerns and that an investigation was under way.

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