Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day.Photo: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex kisses his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as they leave from the West Door of St George’s Chapel

The 2018 royal wedding ofPrince HarryandMeghan Marklewas a magical event — especially for those in attendance.

An estimated 1.9 billion people tuned in to watch the pair exchange vows at the ceremony, which also included a performance from the Lay Clerks of St. George’s Chapel choir, who live atWindsor Castleand lend their voices to royal family functions.

“All of these events are kind of like a whirlwind,” choir member Simon Whiteley — who is also the founder of the small subset vocal sextetThe Queen’s Six— tells PEOPLE. “Harry and Meghan’s wedding was like being an extra in a fairytale. It was like a total dream and just amazing to have been a part of such a really very happy occasion.”

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The Queens Six

“We then spend the intervening time preparing and practicing and rehearsing and panicking and, you know, all the rest of it,” Whiteley explains. “And then just hope everything goes without a hitch on the day — which it seemed to, from our perspective.”

Members of the choir have also performed at historic royal services, including the funerals of bothPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, andQueen Elizabeth II.

Prince Philip’s funeral, which had to be pared down due to theCOVID-19pandemic, Whiteley recalls, “was something that was a truly historic occasion, especially given the circumstances.”

Then, singing at the funeral services for Her Majesty was another moment members of the choir will remember for years to come.

“The weight of the history of the occasion was amazing,” says Whiteley. “It was just an incredible thing to be a part of and something I don’t think any of us will ever forget.”

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The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and sceptre, in the Ceremonial Procession down The Mall following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.

Though Whiteley and members of his group The Queen’s Six (Lissie Paul, Tom Lilburn, Nick Madden, Dominic Bland and Andrew Thompson) have performed for the royals during both private and public functions, they cannot share details “about any private interactions.”

However, Whiteley adds that it “was just such a huge pleasure to” sing for the Queen, expressing: “She was an absolutely incredible woman.”

Since the group lives and works at Windsor Castle, they explain that things can get quite busy at home during a royal event.

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“It is your everyday life,” says Madden. “You do become part of the place. That’s sort of one of the beauties of this job — you slot yourself into a tradition, which has been going for such a long time, and you play your part.”

Though Madden says living at Windsor Castle and performing for the royals — as well as the billions who watch during their televised events — can be “a bit overwhelming,” he adds: “I wouldn’t change it. … It’s an amazing life opportunity.”

source: people.com