Updated
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not invite any political leaders to their wedding, leaving Prince Harry's friend Barack Obama, his sucessor Donald Trump, and British Prime Minister Theresa May off the guest list.
Key points:
- Royal wedding guest list includes 1,200 members of the public
- There is no official list of political leaders who will be invited
- Barack Obama will not be attending the wedding
A Kensington Palace source confirmed the Obamas would not be attending and said the wedding guests would be people who have an existing direct relationship with the bride or groom, or with both.
There had been some speculation the Obamas might be invited due to the personal rapport between the former US president and Prince Harry, but it would have been diplomatically awkward to invite the Obamas and not the Trumps.
A British Government source confirmed Ms May would not be attending and said there had been no expectation that she would.
The Government source noted that the wedding venue, St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, was significantly smaller than Westminster Abbey, where Prince Harry's older brother William wed Kate Middleton in 2011.
They invited then-prime minister David Cameron and other politicians and diplomats.
Mr Obama, who was then in office, was not invited to that wedding but the United States was represented by its ambassador to the United Kingdom.
"It has been decided that an official list of political leaders, both UK and international, is not required for Prince Harry and Ms Markle's wedding," a spokesman for Kensington Palace said.
"Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household."
Who made the guest list?
To be one of the 1,200 members of the public invited to the celebrations outside the church, you need to have overcome adversity or contributed to the community.
The BBC reported 12-year-old Amelia Thompson, who was injured during an attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, was among those who received an invitation.
Her vocal chords were damaged when she screamed during the bombing.
According to the BBC, the schoolgirl will take grandmother Sharon Goodman, whose grand-daughter Olivia Campbell-Hardy died in the bombing, as her plus one.
Teenager Reuben Litherland, who has been campaigning for deaf-friendly screenings at cinemas, also made the list.
Kensington Palace said Prince Harry and Ms Markle also invited former soldier Philip Gillespie, who lost his right leg in Afghanistan in 2011 and now raises money for charity.
The former Royal Irish Regiment soldier told The Irish News the invitation was "a wee bit surreal".
Mother and daughter Catherine Cooke and Julie-Ann Coll both received invitations for working with the Foyle Women's Information Network and child bereavement support group Life After Loss.
Pamela Anomneze, the manager of a social enterprise that helps people recovering from mental health issues through creative arts, was also named as a guest.
She told the BBC she thought the invitation was an "April Fool's prank".
ABC/Reuters
Topics: royal-and-imperial-matters, human-interest, united-kingdom, england
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