Why Donald Trump Won't Be at the Royal Wedding
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding day is this weekend, but Donald Trump won't be in attendance. A Kensington Palace Spokesman confirmed to Harper's BAZAAR earlier this year that no political leaders, including Trump, are invited.
"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," the spokesman said. "Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household."
In an interview with Piers Morgan on ITV earlier this year, President Trump responded "not that I know of" when asked if he has received an invitation. Trump also said that Harry and Markle were a "lovely couple" and wished them the best, even after hearing that Markle had criticized him in the past. "I want them to be happy, I really want them to be happy," he said.
But despite those nice words, the U.S. president will not be getting an invitation. "Trump should possibly put a little pencil mark in his diary, but not hold his breath," royal biographer Duncan Larcombe told TownandCountrymag.com in January.
Diplomatic concerns are likely the reason the president of the United States did not receive an invitation to the royal wedding, said the author of Prince Harry: The Inside Story. (Larcombe also believed that Harry was strongly advised to not invite Barack Obama for the same reason).
"If the Obamas turned up and Donald Trump was snubbed, then that would cause problems for the British government in terms of foreign diplomacy and the special relationship [between the U.S. and the U.K]," Larcombe explained. "Harry and Meghan wouldn’t want their wedding overshadowed by that."
Aside from political allegiances, Larcombe said Trump may not be invited because he simply does not have a personal relationship with Harry. (In Obama's case, he does-Harry and the 44th president have a shared history through the Invictus Games and Obama sent the newly engaged couple a congratulatory tweet.) Trump has not met Harry in person and has not yet made a presidential trip to the U.K. "[Harry could argue] that he's only inviting people he knows," Larcombe said.
Trump also has a complicated history with the royal family, having made comments about both Princess Diana and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge that the Queen's family may not have been pleased with.
The bride no doubt also also has an opinion in the matter. In May 2016, while Trump was campaigning for the U.S. presidency, Markle spoke out about the election on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, according to The Independent. “It's really the moment that I go, we film Suits in Toronto and I might just stay in Canada," she said. "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."
Reports have surfaced that Trump may take offense if he is snubbed by the royals, but Larcombe doesn't imagine Prince Harry and Trump engaging in a Twitter war over the wedding. "I think Harry would be tempted [to respond to a tweet], but I don’t think he would stoop that low," Larcombe said. "If there were a tweet from Donald Trump that upset Harry, I’m sure that he would let that go. And Donald Trump, as outspoken as he is, surely he’s unable to try score any particular points over a wedding invite or not."
Something that may give Trump solace is the fact that it is not customary for the royals to invite foreign political leaders to their nuptials. "There weren't heads of state invited to William and Kate’s wedding," said Larcombe.
So, with the Trumps and the Obamas off the guest list, who in the U.S. will make the cut? According to Larcombe, you can expect Markle's family and her close friends in Hollywood to get the nod.
"I would predict that her entire cast of colleagues of Suits, for example, will be there," Larcombe shared. "[At] William and Kate’s wedding they were all kinds of celebrities there-Elton John and David Beckham. Hollywood and the royals have a long association going back very many decades."
Other foreign royals who attended William and Kate's wedding, like the Queen of Denmark, the Crown Princess of Sweden, the Queen of Spain and others, are also expected to attend.
You Might Also Like
