With the royal wedding less than a day away, the spotlight is certainly on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple is set to tie the knot tomorrow, May 19, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. It's an important day for the British monarchy, as Prince Harry, sixth-in-line to the throne, is set to marry his lovely but unconventional bride, Meghan Markle -- a divorced American actress from California.

Interestingly, a royal historian recently revealed that Harry and Meghan's big day falls on the day of another important event in British history. Although, this particular incident was not a very pleasant one. In fact, it's a very tragic tale that's been told and retold for almost 500 years.

A grim day in England

On May 19, 1536, an outspoken queen walked quietly to a wooden stand to face her death. She was known for her impeccable sense of style, but that day, she was stripped of her tiaras, jewels, and lavish gowns. Her name was Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.

History would remember her as the woman who changed the entire course of British history.

When she met King Henry VIII, he was already married but needed a male heir. He wooed her, but Anne refused to be his mistress unless he promised marriage. Because of this, Henry broke from the Catholic Church and founded the Church of England so he could divorce his wife and marry the much younger Anne.

Three years into their marriage, Anne failed to give King Henry a son. She did, however, give birth to Elizabeth, who would grow up to become Queen Elizabeth I. Frustrated, and said to have been convinced by his royal advisers, King Henry accused Anne Boleyn of adultery, incest, and treason -- all of which she denied even up to her execution.

So why did the royal family agree to have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding on this auspicious date?

According to royal historian and biographer Claire Ridgway, British history is riddled with lots of horrific events, so much so that it would be "tricky" to find a date that's not tainted by "something awful."

“I don’t think the link to Anne Boleyn came into the equation when picking the date, it would have just been based on what worked out best with the busy lives of the royal family,” Ridgway told The Washington Post.

Other bizarre coincidences

A superstitious person can find other bizarre coincidences to link Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to King Henry VIII's unfortunate tale. The most obvious one is their names. Harry is, of course, short for Henry -- although it is doubtful that Prince Charles and Princess Diana named their second son after the Tudor monarch.

Another interesting fact? King Henry VIII is buried in St. George's Chapel. Yes, the same church where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding ceremony will take place.

Additionally, new research has revealed that Meghan Markle is a direct descendant of another one of King Henry VIII's wives: Jane Seymour, whom he married after Anne Boleyn. According to Express UK, Queen Jane was the second cousin of Isabel Hildyard, Meghan's 12th great-grandmother.

Jane Seymour was queen for only a year and died days after giving birth to King Henry's only son. She was said to have been Henry's favorite wife and is described in history books as kind, gentle, and peaceful. Like her royal ancestor, Meghan Markle is known for her humanitarian and charitable works.

Jane Seymour is also buried with King Henry at St. George's Chapel.

There's a famous rhyme about the fates of Henry VIII's string of wives: "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived." Hopefully Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have more luck in their marriage than their royal predecessors.