Getty Prince Harry poses with U.S. First Lady Melania Trump for the first time as she leads the USA team delegation ahead of the Invictus Games 2017 on September 23, 2017.
The Royal Wedding is a beautiful affair expected to be watched by millions around the world, but not everyone that you might expect to attend the wedding is going to be there. In fact, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will not be attending the Royal Wedding. Read on to learn why they won’t be there today.
The Trumps will not be attending the wedding today for one simple reason: they weren’t invited. But it’s not quite as nefarious as you might think. The lack of invitation isn’t a personal affront to the Trumps, despite rumors to the contrary.
In fact, political leaders simply aren’t being invited to the wedding, Town & Country Magazine reported. A Kensington Palace Spokesman said: “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. Her Majesty’s Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household.”
The size of their venue likely also played a role. The church has a maximum capacity of 900, compared to William and Kate’s wedding which invited 1,900.
This isn’t the first time political leaders weren’t invited to Royal weddings. Prince William and Kate Middleton also didn’t invite heads of state to their 2011 wedding. The British Royal family typically seeks to remain politically neutral.
Duncan Larcombe, a royal biographer and British journalist, told Town and Country: “Diplomacy is very important. Harry and Meghan will be guided by the Foreign Office’s advice.” Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, also noted that Meghan Markle has been fairly vocal about her dislike for Trump. In 2016, she said that while filming Suits in Toronto, she debated staying in Canada. “I mean come on, if that’s reality we are talking about, come on, that is a game changer in terms of how we move in the world here,” she said on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.
In addition, Trump has made some controversial statements in the past about Princess Diana and Kate Middleton that did not please the Royal family.
However, Trump has said publicly that Harry and Meghan Markle are a “lovely couple” and wished them the best, even after hearing that Meghan had criticized him in the past, Town and Country reported. “I want them to be happy, I really want them to be happy,” he said.
In addition, Trump likely wasn’t invited because he and Harry simply don’t have a personal relationship. They’ve never met in person and Trump hasn’t made a presidential trip to the UK, Larcombe said.