Phil Mitchell to marry on Royal Wedding day

'EastEnders' Phil Mitchell will marry Shirley Carter on the same day as Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.

The Albert Square hard-man - played by 51-year-old Steve McFadden - is set to propose to Shirley (Linda Henry) next week following a heart attack, and the pair will marry on April 29, the same day as the British royals.

A source said: "The royal wedding is the biggest event of this year and, for soap fans, Phil Mitchell is pretty close to royalty having been a favourite since he arrived in 1990.

"The show's bosses thought a wedding storyline would be perfect to coincide with William and Kate."

However his planned marriage will not be easy, with baddie Glenda Mitchell (Glynis Barber) threatening to tell the world about her affair with him.

The source added to The Mirror newspaper: "Phil's journey to the altar is riddled with drama, as Glenda threatens to reveal her affair with Phil."

Phil has been the focus of a number of major storylines in recent years, including the 'Who shot Phil?' saga and a brief encounter with drug addiction in 2010.