Deborah Chan
Prince Harry has a large family, and not all of his cousins were invited to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. It was believed that the couple only invited their closest royal family members, including Harry's first cousins, aunts, and uncles. However, some of his younger, more distant cousins, such as Lady Marina, Lady Amelia, and Lord Edward, were not expected to attend. The Duke and Duchess of Kent, who are first cousins of the Queen, were invited and attended the wedding.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the wedding | May 2018 |
| Number of guests | 600 |
| Harry's cousins who did not attend the wedding | Lady Marina, Lady Amelia, Lord Edward |
| Harry's cousins who attended the wedding | Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise Windsor, James, Viscount Severn |
| Reason for cousins not attending | Distant relations |
| Harry's aunts and uncles who attended | Princess Anne, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, Prince Andrew, Sarah, Duchess of York |
| Harry's grandparents who attended | Duke and Duchess of Kent |
| Harry's other relatives who attended | Prince William, Kate Middleton |
| Harry's friend's wedding he missed | Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster |
| Reason for missing friend's wedding | Security concerns |
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What You'll Learn
Harry's younger, more distant cousins were not invited
Prince Harry has a large family, and not all of his cousins could be invited to his wedding to Meghan Markle. It was believed that the couple chose to invite only their closest royal family members, including Harry's first cousins, aunts, and uncles.
The wedding, which took place in 2018, was held at St George's Chapel in Windsor, with around 600 guests in attendance. Harry's first cousins, Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn, and Lady Louise Windsor and her brother James, Viscount Severn, were among those invited to the wedding. Harry's aunts and uncles, including Princess Anne, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, were also on the guest list. Harry's brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate, were notable attendees as well.
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The Duke and Duchess of Kent were invited
The Duke of Kent has been a working member of the Royal Family since he retired from the British Army in 1976. He is involved with over 140 different charities, organisations and professional bodies, including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the RAF Benevolent Fund, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Stroke Association, the Royal United Services Institute, the Royal Institution, and the British Racing Drivers' Club. He has also served as the president of The Scout Association since 1975 and was president of English football's governing body, The Football Association, from 1971 to 2000.
The Duchess of Kent, Katharine, converted to Catholicism in 1994, a decision for which she received approval from Queen Elizabeth. The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children and ten grandchildren. The Duke of Kent's memoir, 'A Royal Life', was published in 2022 and is notably discreet, with no "behind-palace-walls exposes or 'truth bombs'".
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Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were not invited
Prince Harry has a large family, and not all of his cousins were invited to his wedding to Meghan Markle. It is believed that the couple chose to invite only their closest family members, including Harry's first cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Among those who did not receive an invitation were Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. They are first cousins of Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Michael is 53rd in line to the British throne. Despite their close relation to the Queen, the couple has been the subject of controversy. In 2002, they were criticized for paying a low rent on their accommodation at Kensington Palace. It was claimed that they paid only £69 per week, after which Queen Elizabeth II announced that she would pay their rent of £120,000 annually from her private funds. This was in recognition of the royal engagements and charity work undertaken by the couple.
Princess Michael of Kent, formerly known as Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, has also been accused of making racist statements and actions. She reportedly claimed to have more royal blood in her veins than any person to marry into the royal family since Prince Philip. Additionally, in 2004, she was accused of racially insulting black diners at a restaurant in New York.
Prince Michael of Kent, born Michael George Charles Franklin, is the grandson of King George V and the great-grandson of King George I of Greece and King Christian IX of Denmark. He has represented Queen Elizabeth II at various functions abroad and has served in the British military. However, he has also faced scrutiny for his financial ties to exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and for allegedly "selling access" to Vladimir Putin's political representatives.
The decision to not invite Prince and Princess Michael of Kent to the royal wedding may have been influenced by their controversial histories and distance from the immediate royal family.
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Harry's first cousins were expected to attend
Prince Harry has a large number of relatives, and not all of his cousins were invited to his wedding to Meghan Markle. The couple chose to only invite their closest members of the royal family, including Harry's first cousins.
Harry's first cousins who were expected to attend included Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn, and Lady Louise Windsor and her brother James, Viscount Severn. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are also Harry's cousins, and they were seen with him at the coronation of King Charles III.
Harry's aunts and uncles, including Princess Anne, Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, and Prince Andrew, were also on the guest list, as were his grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, who are first cousins with the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Kent's attendance is notable, as their grandchildren, Lady Marina, Lady Amelia, and Lord Edward, were not expected to attend.
The wedding, which took place in 2018, had around 600 guests in attendance at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
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Harry's aunts and uncles were invited
Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 was a grand affair, with around 600 guests in attendance. However, not all of Harry's cousins were invited to the wedding. It was believed that the couple chose to invite only their closest members of the royal family, including Harry's first cousins, aunts, and uncles.
The Duke of Kent, who is first cousins to Queen Elizabeth II, were also invited and attended the wedding. The Duke of Kent, in particular, holds a special place in the Queen's affections, as they have been close since their childhood. The Duke's memoirs, while discreet, provide a glimpse into his memories of significant royal events, including the coronation of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II.
The presence of Harry's aunts and uncles at the wedding served as a testament to the importance of family within the royal circle. It also highlighted the intricate dynamics of royal relationships, where certain members, despite not always being in the public eye, play significant roles in major royal events.
While Harry's aunts and uncles were in attendance, some of his younger and more distant cousins, such as Lady Marina, Lady Amelia, and Lord Edward, were not invited. This selective guest list underscores the exclusivity of royal weddings and the careful considerations that go into crafting the guest list.
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Frequently asked questions
Harry's younger, more distant cousins, Lady Marina, Lady Amelia, and Lord Edward, did not attend his wedding.
It is believed that Harry and Meghan chose to invite only their closest members of the royal family, including Harry's first cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Harry's first cousins, Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips, and his wife Autumn, were among those who attended the wedding.
Yes, Harry missed the wedding of his friend, Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, due to security concerns.
