President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama should not expect to be on the guest list for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Kensington Palace announced on Tuesday, April 10, that the couple will not be inviting politicians to their May 19 nuptials at Windsor Castle in England.
“It has been decided that an official list of political leaders — both U.K. and international — is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding,” a spokesperson for the palace says in a statement to Us Weekly. “Her Majesty’s Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household.”
An unnamed White House official confirmed to CNN that neither Trump, 71, nor first lady Melania Trump were invited. Downing Street said the same about British Prime Minister Theresa May. A royal source tells Us that while Obama, 56, and former first lady Michelle Obama won’t be at the wedding, Harry and Markle, 36, “look forward to seeing” them soon.
The decision was made because the wedding is classified as a private event, not an official state occasion like Prince William and Duchess Kate’s 2011 much larger ceremony at Westminster Abbey, which was attended by many politicians and leaders. (William, 35, is second in line to the British throne, whereas Harry, 33, will be sixth when his brother and Kate, 36, welcome their third child this month.)
Harry developed a friendship with the Obamas through their work with various charitable organizations and events, including the prince’s Invictus Games.
Prior to the latest news, a source told Us Weekly exclusively in December that the former Army helicopter pilot wanted to extend an invitation to the Obamas but was worried about the “immense pressure that would follow to invite the Trumps.”
Harry and Markle announced their engagement in November.
