Franklin Dean
President Donald Trump and his wife Melania were not invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Trump said that he had not received an invitation not that I know of. Despite this, Trump wished the couple well, saying I want them to be happy. I really want them to be happy. They look like a lovely couple. A Kensington Palace spokesman confirmed that no political leaders were invited to the wedding.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for not being invited | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided not to invite political leaders as Harry is not a direct heir to the throne |
| Donald Trump's response | "Not that I know of" when asked if he had received an invitation; "I want them to be happy, I really want them to be happy" |
| Donald Trump's actions | Sending a gift to the couple; making a donation to one of the seven charities the couple suggested to guests and well-wishers in lieu of gifts |
What You'll Learn
Trump's complicated history with the royal family
Donald Trump's history with the royal family has been described as "complicated". While he has expressed admiration for the Queen and the royal family, his comments about Princess Diana and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, may not have gone down well with the family.
In January 2018, Trump was interviewed by Piers Morgan, and when asked if he had received an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, he replied, "not that I know of". Trump wished the couple well, saying, "I want them to be happy. I really want them to be happy." Markle had previously criticised Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, calling his rhetoric "divisive" and "misogynistic".
Trump's relationship with the royal family may also have been impacted by his decision to cancel a February 2018 visit to London, reportedly due to concerns about protests and negative press.
Ultimately, Trump did not receive an invitation to the royal wedding, as the couple chose not to invite any political leaders, instead opting for family, friends, and members of the public. This decision was likely influenced by diplomatic concerns and the desire to avoid causing problems for the British government in terms of foreign diplomacy.
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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 groom's relatives in attendance included his paternal grandparents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh; his father and stepmother, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall; his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; his nephew, Prince George of Cambridge; his niece, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge; his paternal aunt and uncle, the Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence; his first cousin and wife, Peter and Autumn Phillips; his first cousin and her husband, Zara and Michael Tindall; his paternal uncle (godfather) and his ex-wife, the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York; his first cousin, Princess Beatrice of York; his first cousin and her fiancé, Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank; his paternal uncle and aunt, the Earl and Countess of Wessex; his first cousin, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor; his first cousin, Viscount Severn; and many more relatives.
The bride's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in attendance.
Other notable invitees included members of reigning and non-reigning royal families, such as Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho, the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Oettingen-Spielberg, and Sir John Major and his wife, Dame Norma Major.
Many friends of the couple were also in attendance, including David and Victoria Beckham, James Blunt and his wife, Sofia Wellesley, Priyanka Chopra, George and Amal Clooney, James Corden and his wife, Julia Carey, Idris Elba and his fiancée, Sabrina Dhowre, and Elton John and his husband, David Furnish.
The couple also invited 2,000 members of the public to the grounds of the castle, including 500 members of the Royal Household, 1,200 inspiring citizens and young people, 200 guests from charity organisations, and 100 local school children.
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Why Trump wasn't invited
Donald Trump was not invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding because the couple chose not to invite any political leaders. A Kensington Palace spokesman confirmed that an "official list of political leaders – both UK and international – [was] not required" for the wedding. This meant that neither UK Prime Minister Theresa May nor Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn were invited, along with Trump.
The decision was made by the royal household, in consultation with the British government, after reviewing protocol and precedent. As Prince Harry is not a direct heir to the throne, he was not required to invite political figures. The wedding was also held at the smaller venue of Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel, rather than Westminster Abbey, which allowed for a more limited guest list.
In addition, Trump did not have a personal relationship with either Harry or Meghan Markle. In fact, Meghan had criticised Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, calling his rhetoric "divisive" and "misogynistic". Trump himself acknowledged that he had not received an invitation to the wedding, but wished the couple well, saying, "I want them to be happy".
The decision to exclude all political leaders from the wedding guest list was likely made to avoid potential diplomatic issues. If Trump had been snubbed while other political leaders, such as his predecessor Barack Obama, had been invited, it could have caused problems for British-American relations.
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Trump's response to not being invited
President Donald Trump and his wife Melania were not invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Trump responded "not that I know of" when asked if he had received an invitation. He also said that Harry and Markle were a "lovely couple" and wished them the best. Trump added that his mother had a "great sense of regal" and "she loved the UK".
Despite not receiving an invitation, Trump and the first lady honoured the couple with a gift. White House spokesperson Lindsay Walters confirmed that the couple would be making a donation to one of the seven charities that Harry and Meghan had suggested to guests and well-wishers in lieu of gifts. It is unknown which charity the Trumps donated to.
Trump may not have been invited due to diplomatic concerns, as well as the fact that he did not have a personal relationship with Harry. In addition, Markle had been critical of Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, calling his rhetoric "divisive" and "misogynistic".
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Trump's relationship with Harry and Meghan
Donald Trump was not invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Trump confirmed that he had not received an invitation "not that I know of". Despite this, he wished the couple well, stating that they looked like a "lovely couple" and that he wanted them to be happy.
Trump's absence from the guest list was not a personal snub, as no political leaders were invited to the wedding. A Kensington Palace spokesman confirmed that an "official list" of political leaders was not required for the wedding, and that the decision was made by the Royal Household, with the consultation of the UK government. This included both UK and international political figures, such as the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn.
The decision to exclude political leaders was likely influenced by the fact that Harry is not a direct heir to the throne and that the wedding venue, Windsor Chapel, was significantly smaller than Westminster Abbey, where his older brother, William, got married. This allowed Harry and Meghan to keep the 600-person guest list to close family and friends.
Trump's complicated history with the royal family and his lack of a personal relationship with Harry may have also played a role in his exclusion from the wedding. Trump had made comments about Princess Diana and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, that the royal family may not have approved of. Additionally, Meghan Markle, an American-born actress and former United Nations Women advocate, had been critical of Trump's "divisive" and "misogynistic" rhetoric during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Despite not being invited to the wedding, Trump and his wife, Melania, honoured the couple by making a donation to one of the seven charities that Harry and Meghan had suggested in lieu of gifts.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Trump was not invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.
The couple decided not to invite any political leaders, instead opting for family members, friends, and members of the public.
Trump responded "not that I know of" when initially asked if he had received an invitation. He also said that he wanted the couple to be happy and that they looked like a "lovely couple". Trump did not attend the wedding.
Yes, Trump and his wife Melania honoured the couple with a gift. They made a donation to one of the seven charities that Harry and Meghan had suggested to guests and well-wishers in lieu of gifts.
