Getty UK Prime Minister Theresa May
The Royal Wedding is a beautiful affair for family and friends alike, but not everyone that you might expect to attend the wedding is going to be there. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that even Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, will not be at the Royal Wedding today. Read on to learn why she won’t be there.
Theresa May didn’t decide not to attend the wedding on her own; she actually wasn’t invited. But the lack of invitation isn’t a personal affront to her, despite rumors to the contrary. Even the Obamas weren’t invited, and Prince Harry has gotten quite close to former President Barack Obama in recent years. Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau also wasn’t invited, and he and his wife get along quite well with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
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.”
May certainly hasn’t acted bothered by the news at all. She praised Prince Harry just a couple days ago, Express reported. She commended him for his “tireless” mental health work in raising awareness of the help that service personnel need as they enter civilian life. She also wished Meghan Markle and Prince Harry well as they embark on their life together.
Interestingly, recent news reports have speculated that May might appoint 10 conservative peers into the Lords while the wedding is dominating the news, Mirror reported. New Statesman repeated this rumor, saying she might announce the creation of 10 new Conservative members of the House of Lords and three new Labour members today.
The size of Harry and Meghan’s venue likely played a role in their decision to not invite political leaders to the wedding unless they had a special, close relationship. 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 (although they did have quite a few political leaders present.) 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.”
