Obama's Royal Wedding Invite: Yes Or No?

Despite their close friendship, Barack and Michelle Obama did not receive an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. The couple decided not to invite any political leaders, from the UK or abroad, to their wedding. This decision was taken to avoid causing an international standoff due to hurt feelings. A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed that an official list of political leaders was not required for the wedding.

Harry and Meghan's wedding guest list

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding took place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on May 19, 2018, with 600 guests in attendance. The couple decided not to invite any political leaders, including the Obamas, Donald Trump, and Theresa May. Instead, they opted for a more intimate gathering of close friends and family. Here is a breakdown of their notable guest list:

Family:

• The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh (Harry's paternal grandparents)
• The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (Harry's father and stepmother)
• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Harry's brother and sister-in-law)
• Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (Harry's nephew and niece)
• The Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence (Harry's paternal aunt and uncle)
• Zara and Michael Tindall (Harry's cousin and her husband)
• The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York (Harry's paternal uncle and his ex-wife)
• Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie of York (Harry's cousins)
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex (Harry's paternal uncle and aunt)
• Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn (Harry's cousins)
• The Earl and Countess of Snowdon (Harry's cousins, once removed)
• Viscount Linley and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones (Harry's second cousins)
• Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, Samuel Chatto, and Arthur Chatto (Harry's cousins, once removed, and their families)
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and other descendants of King George V (Harry's more distant relatives)
• Michael and Carole Middleton, James Middleton, and other relatives of the Duchess of Cambridge

Royalty:

• Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho (co-founders of the charity Sentebale with Prince Harry)
• The Hereditary Prince and Princess of Oettingen-Spielberg
• Sir John Major and Dame Norma Major
• Sir Nicholas Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill
• Anba Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London
• David Conner, Dean of Windsor
• Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church
• Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

Famous Friends:

• Oprah Winfrey
• George and Amal Clooney
• David and Victoria Beckham
• James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley
• Priyanka Chopra
• James Corden and Julia Carey
• Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
• Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier
• Will Greenwood and Caroline Greenwood
• Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley
• Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford
• Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian
• Elton John and David Furnish
• Patrick J. Adams and Troian Bellisario
• Abigail Spencer
• Joss Stone
• Gina Torres
• Jonny Wilkinson and Shelley Jenkins
• Rick Hoffman
• Gabriel Macht and Jacinda Barrett
• Sarah Rafferty and Aleksanteri Olli-Pekka Seppälä
• Jill Smoller
• Janina Gavankar
• Clive Woodward and Lady Woodward
• Charlie Van Straubenzee
• Misha Nonoo
• Heather Dorak and Matt Cohen
• Guy Pelly and Lizzie Wilson
• Tiggy Pettifer and Charles Pettifer
• Frederick Pettifer
• Julia Samuel and The Hon. Michael Samuel
• Ed Lane Fox and Sonia Lane Fox
• The Hon. Dame Shân Legge-Bourke and Angus Gordon-Lennox
• Silver Tree and Abraham Levy
• Benita Litt and Darren Litt
• Alexi Lubomirski and Giada Lubomirski
• Isabel May
• James Meade and Lady Laura Marsham
• Lucy Meadmore
• Violet Von Westenholz
• The Duchess of Westminster
• Lady Edwina and Daniel Snow
• The Duke of Westminster
• Lady Viola Grosvenor
• Charlotte Riley
• Chelsy Davy and Shaun Davy
• Cressida Bonas

Charities and Members of the Public:

In addition to their celebrity guests, Harry and Meghan also invited 2,000 members of the public to the grounds of Windsor Castle. This included 500 members of the Royal Household, 1,200 inspiring citizens and young people, 200 guests from charity organisations, and 100 local school children.

The Obamas' friendship with Harry

Despite their close friendship, Barack and Michelle Obama were not invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. The couple decided not to invite any political leaders, either from the UK or abroad, which meant that British Prime Minister Theresa May, President Trump, and Melania Trump were also not in attendance.

Harry and Meghan were strongly advised not to invite the Obamas for diplomatic reasons. Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe said that reports of the British government pleading with the couple to exclude the Obamas were likely true. "Diplomacy is very important," he explained. "Harry and Meghan will be guided by the Foreign Office's advice."

However, Larcombe acknowledged that Harry and Obama had forged a very genuine friendship over the years. The pair were photographed together at the 2017 Invictus Games, Harry attended the first Obama Foundation Summit, and Harry interviewed the former president for the BBC.

"I think part of their understanding is that Harry served as a soldier at the time when Obama was Commander-in-Chief," Larcombe explained. "But there's a different friendship there, rather than like a business relationship."

Larcombe added that he expected Harry might reach out to Obama personally to explain, and that Obama wouldn't be offended. "I'm sure of all the people that would understand, it would be Barack Obama," he said.

The Obamas' absence explained

There was much speculation about whether Barack and Michelle Obama would be invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, given the royal's friendship with the former president and first lady. However, it was eventually confirmed by Kensington Palace that the Obamas would not be in attendance.

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace stated that no official list of political leaders, either from the UK or abroad, would be invited to the wedding. This included not only the Obamas but also President Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

The decision was made by the Royal Household, in consultation with Her Majesty's Government. As Prince Harry is not the direct heir to the throne, official guests such as heads of state were not deemed necessary. Instead, all the guests at the wedding would be people the couple knew personally.

Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe suggested that diplomatic reasons played a role in the Obamas' exclusion. He noted that the British royal family has historically remained politically neutral and that the Foreign Office typically advises inviting foreign royals, dignitaries, and diplomats to royal weddings.

Despite the Obamas' absence from the wedding, sources indicated that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were looking forward to seeing them soon.

Other political leaders not invited

No political leaders were invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. This included UK political leaders such as Prime Minister Theresa May, Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn, and former Prime Minister Sir John Major. International political leaders were also not invited, including US President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama.

The decision not to invite political leaders was made by the royal couple, with the agreement of the Royal Household and the UK government. It was reportedly due to a combination of diplomatic reasons and the limited size of the venue. Prince Harry is not in the direct line of succession to the British throne, which meant that official guests, such as heads of state, were not necessary. This differed from the wedding of his older brother, Prince William, where political leaders and heads of state were invited as he is a future king.

The guest list for Harry and Meghan's wedding included approximately 600 people, most of whom had a direct relationship with the couple. In addition, 200 close friends of the couple were invited to an evening reception at Frogmore House, and approximately 1,200 members of the public were invited to greet the couple outside the chapel.

Harry and Meghan's wedding venue

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding venue was St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The venue was chosen for its intimate space, with a capacity of 800 people, as opposed to Westminster Abbey, which can hold 2,000. The couple wanted to signal that they were "not going to be full-on attention-seeking royals".

The chapel, which dates back to the 1300s, has a rich history of hosting royal weddings. It was the site of the weddings of Prince Edward in 1999, Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005, and Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, in 2008. The first wedding to take place in the chapel was in 1863 between the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

The Royal Collection Trust website describes the space as "one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England" and notes its "magnificent stone fan vaulting."

In a statement released by Kensington Palace ahead of the wedding, the couple expressed their delight at being able to begin their married life together at such a special place:

> "As with all members of the Royal Family, Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there over the last year and a half. They are grateful to the Queen for granting permission for the use of the Chapel. The Chapel itself has centuries of royal tradition and hosted the weddings of many members of the Royal Family. Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives together as a married couple."

The wedding took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, with approximately 600 guests in attendance, most of whom had a "direct relationship" with the couple.

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