Royal wedding guest list: All the celebrities, friends and Royal family who will be attending

Old school aristocrats and minor royals step aside. The A-listers from Hollywood are coming - and so is Serena Williams, who has jetted into Heathrow Terminal 5.

Like no other Royal wedding before it, Prince Harry’s wedding to the actress Meghan Markle will be sprinkled with stardust from the glittering LA-set.

Top of the pile, according to sources, will be George Clooney, perhaps the most handsome and one of the most bankable movie stars of the past two decades.

Read on for all the latest news and gossip about who is reported to be in attendance on Saturday...

Friends from Ms Markle’s inner circle - including actors from her hit television show Suits - will give the wedding a touch of ‘LA cool’. Green smoothies as much as vintage champagne may just be the drink of choice.

With the wildflower bouquets, organic lemon and elderflower cake and photographer already chosen, people all across the country are speculating on what the Royal wedding will look like –and, most importantly, who will be invited.

Meghan Markle's Suits co-stars have arrived

Abigail Spencer, Meghan's former Suits co-star, is also tipped to attend the wedding: she is known to get along well with Meghan and the pair are regularly photographed together outside of filming duties. On Thursday afternoon, she posted about packing and travelling for an exciting trip.

Patrick Adams, her on-screen husband, has posted an Instagram snap from a pub in England, which appears to confirm he is on the guest list. The actor spent Thursday night in Beaconsfield, and appeared to enjoy the local offering, writing: "I have historically ale’d."

Sarah Rafferty took advantage of her time in Europe, spending a few days in Paris, before touching down in London on Thursday afternoon with her two small daughters. She is very close to Meghan Markle, who has described her as her "sister-wife".

Her other co-star, Rick Hoffman, arrived down in London, posting a picture on Instagram.

The pair were on the US Today programme, with Mr Hoffman describing Windsor as "gorgeous".

He confirmed he would be at the wedding, filming a nearby church and saying "I don't think that's the church I'm going in."

Jacinda Barrett, who appears on the show and is married to Gabriel Macht, who plays lead character Harvey Spector, has arrived in London.

Gina Torres, who plays Jessica Pearson, is also a guest and has been on NBC's Today show, saying it will be "incredible to bear witness" to the event.

The Royal family

More than 50 Members of the Royal family were invited to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011, which gives us a clue as to how many will be attending the younger prince's nuptials this year..

The first royal name to be confirmed was of course Prince William, who will be Prince Harry's best man. Harry was his brother's best man in 2011; however the decision means the Duke of Cambridge, who is President of the Football Association, will not attend the FA Cup final happening on the same day.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will both be there, with their older children Prince George and Princess Charlotte confirmed as pageboy and bridesmaid, the newborn Louis will stay away from the public eye. Prince Louis, who will be less than a month old by the time of the wedding, is likely to be cared for by a nanny close by.

Royal wedding countdown in pictures as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's preparations begin

Prince Charles was confirmed as the person to walk her down the aisle, and Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Duke of Edinburgh will attend the royal wedding after recovering well from a hip replacement operation. The Queen is also due to be there.

The Prince and Ms Markle have invited all three of the late Princess’ siblings to the wedding, with Lady Jane Fellowes giving the reading.

Lady Jane, who remains close to members of the Royal Family but has stayed away from the limelight following her sister’s death, will be joined by her siblings Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer at the Windsor Castle wedding.

It has been announced that Ms Markle will be surrounded by children as page boys, bridesmaids and flower girls. The bridesmaids are Princess Charlotte, Florence van Custem, Remi Litt, Rylan Litt, Ivy Mulroney and Zalie Warren. The pageboys are Prince George, Jasper Dyer, Brian Mulroney and John Mulroney.

Royal siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte already know the score - they performed those roles at the wedding of Pippa Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister, to James Matthews in May last year.  

Prince Harry has paid tribute to former mentor and close friend Mark Dyer by requesting his son Jasper as a pageboy, while Ms Markle has publicly recognised one of her best friends, stylist Jessica Mulroney, by choosing her twin sons to take part in the wedding.

While it has been confirmed that the Duchess of York has been invited to the service, she is said to be “deeply unhappy” that she has not been invited to the Prince of Wales' private reception later in the day. The Duke of York and his daughters with Fergie, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York are said to be attending both events.

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Other royal relatives are likely to include The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Kent, The Princess Royal, the Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mark Tindall. 

Members of other royal families from around the world are not expected to attend, although Prince Seeiso of Lesotho might be an exception. In 2006 he and Prince Harry founded the Sentebale charity,  with the aim to help vulnerable children and young people in the country.

Meghan's family

Meghan Markle has confirmed her father Thomas Markle will not be attending her wedding, saying she hopes he can be given the "space he needs to focus on his health". 

In a statement issued through Kensington Palace, Ms Markle said: "Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.

"I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday."

Meanwhile, Meghan's mother, has met the family at the palace prior to the wedding. 

The pair married in 1979 and Ms Markle was born two years later. Ms Ragland later took a job as an air stewardess, meaning their daughter was frequently cared for by her father.

Doria now lives in the house she inherited from her father in 2011 in the Crenshaw area of LA. Ms Ragland and her daughter are extremely close - Ms Ragland once drove a car with the number plate MEGNME - and Ms Markle has spoken of her pride in her free-spirited mother, with her dreadlocks and nose ring.

Ms Ragland and Mr Markle divorced in 1987, but remained friends. Thomas, 72, was born in Pennsylvania, of Dutch-Irish descent and made his way to Hollywood where he worked as a lighting director.

He worked for many years on the set of the television show Married With Children, and his work on long-running series General Hospital earned him nine Daytime Emmy nominations, of which he was twice named the winner. Mr Markle and his daughter were very close, with the young Meghan accompanying him on film sets.

Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, and her half-sister Samantha Grant have not received invites to the wedding. 

On April 11, Meghan's half-sister tweeted 'The Markle family is looking forward to our wedding invites. No one has one yet. Still waiting. I hope London is wheelchair friendly. Excited!', before continuing 'Smoke and mirros cannot hide the elephant in the room. Out of respect, tradition, and humanitarianism, the #Markles should be invited if 2000 strangers are invited.'

Meanwhile, members of Ms Markle's extended family have arrived in London - depsite reportedly not receiving an invite to the wedding.

Tracy Dooley – who was married to Meghan Markle's half-brother Thomas Markle Jr – was pictured at Heathrow Airport with her sons, Tyler, 25, and Thomas, 26 on Monday. The family has since been posting pictures on social media of their tour of London, which includes a trip to the Imperial War Museum.

Ms Dooley, who has admitted she has not seen Ms Markle for 20 years, has previously told ITV's Good Morning Britain she had not received an invitation to the ceremony at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

Yet she is expected to cover the event for an American broadcasting network and said she "will be in the front row cheering them on" in Windsor.

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Harry's friends

Harry and renowned party animal Tom Inskip have been friends since they were pupils at Eton together. Harry was rumoured to be best man at his Jamaican wedding last year, when he married the flame haired Lara Hughes-Young.

30 year-old banked Inskip is the son of Owen Inskip, a friend of the Prince of Wales and David Cameron. He has been present at some of the Prince's most controversial moments, including when he was photographed naked at a private party.

Also rumoured to be on the guest list are Guy Pelly and Lizzy Wilson. Heiress to the Holiday Inn empire, Wilson is married to Guy Pelly, setting a precedent for Americans to marry into the royals' inner 'set'. 

Harry and the Duke of Cambridge were spotted with Princess Beatrice at Pelly's 2014 wedding in the US; surely an invite to the wedding of the year would be appropriately return the favour?

Pelly was thrown into the public eye in 2012 when he was awarded £40,000 by News International after an admission that it had hacked his phone, as well as incorrectly accusing Pelly of supplying Harry with marijuana.

Arthur Landon is also rumoured to be attending the wedding. Another pal of the Princes, Landon was also in Vegas when the naked picture was taken. He is also known as one of Britain's youngest millionaires, having inherited £500 million from his father.

Jake Warren, a friend from Harry's Eton era, the son of the Queen's racing manager, and godson of Princess Diana, is also likely to attend.

Meghan's friends

Priyanka Chopra confirmed to US Weekly on April 25 that will attend the wedding. When asked about her outfit, she added: "I sort of may have an idea... But no, I haven’t picked one out yet." On the same day, she disclosed that she would not be a bridesmaid. 

Chopra is an Indian actress, film producer, singer and the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, who penned a tribute to Meghan in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list, released in April. She wrote: "This ever-smiling, strong free spirit found her prince, fell in love and in turn made a cynical world believe in fairy tales again.

"But more than anything else, Meghan is an important influencer in a world that needs strong public figures to respect and look up to. People the world can be inspired by. Meghan, standing shoulder to shoulder with Harry, will be a princess for the people. Love always, my friend. Live happily ever after."

Stylist Jessica Mulroney, one of Meghan's closest friends and widely credited with fine-tuning the actress' fashion choices, is rumoured to be Meghan's maid of honour. Married to Ben, the son of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, she regularly advises the wife of Canadian prime minister, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, on her outfits for public appearances – and she is rumoured to have been advising Markle on her wedding dress. She has been spotted landing at London Heathrow this week, and her child Ivy is due to be a bridesmaid. Seemingly excited to be in the UK, she posted a union flag on Instagram on Thursday.

The pair are thought to have met when Markle moved from Los Angeles to Toronto for her breakthrough role in Suits and shared an "exceptionally fun" trip to Italy together last year.

Millie Mackintosh is also rumoured to be on the guest list. The only Brit in Markle's inner circle, the Made in Chelsea socialite is good friends with many of the young aristocracy and well placed for advice on handling the British paparazzi. 

Plus, fellow American actress Janina Gavankar is expected to attend. A friend of Meghan for 16 years, Gavankar appeared with the bride-to-be in episodes of American sitcom The League. Meghan has previously posted about Gavanakar on her Instagram feed, with the caption: "Couldn't be prouder of how far we've come, and couldn't be more grateful for being able to share every step of it with you." 

Benita Litt, a business mogul and good friend of Ms Markle is expected to attend, as her children, to whom the actress is godmother, were recently announced as bridesmaids.

Other members of the bride's inner circle include British fashion designer Misha Nonoo, yoga instructorHeather Dorak, US buisinesswoman and Olivia Palermo and close friend Lindsay Jill Roth.

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Celebrities

Several celebrities have been rumoured to be on the guest list, from Cara Delevingne to Ed Sheeran. Among the more certain famous invitees are the Spice Girls; soon after the 1990s girl band's announcement of a reunion, Mel B hinted on US television that they had been invited to the royal wedding as performing guests.  

Appearing on American television chat show The Real, Mel B was asked whether she knew any fellow Britons who had been invited to the wedding.

Nodding, she confessed: “Yeah, I’m going... I don't know if I should've said that!” Pressed further by co-hosts, she continued: “Well us five Spice Girls... why am I so honest?”

Throwing her cue cards in the air, her co-hosts screamed, ran around the studio and exclaimed: “Yes they are performing! Yes!”

“I need to go,” said Mel B. “I'm going to be fired.”

Asked for details on what the wedding invitation looked like, she added: “It's getting too personal to describe it. It was proper. I'm not saying any more.”

The Spice Girls first made an impression on Prince Harry at the age of 13, when he accompanied his father, the Prince of Wales, on a trip to South Africa. The prince reportedly described the meeting as the best day of his life, while Ms Markle is also known to be a fan of the band. 

Victoria Beckham and her husband David attended the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011. The Beckhams became friendly with Prince William during David's campaigning for England's failed 2018 World Cup bid. 

She confirmed she would be attending, and has been seen getting her hair done in the run-up to the event.

Sources saw her getting her hair done at Daniel Hersheson Hair Salon, where she saw her longtime hairstylist Luke Hersheson.

Sir Elton John, another world-famous British artist is also rumoured to be on the guest list. He has reportedly cancelled two dates of his global farewell tour on May 18 and 19, with some saying it is to attend the wedding in Windsor. 

American tennis star Serena Williams is the biggest sports person rumoured to attend the wedding. She became friendly with Meghan in 2014 during DirectTv's Celebrity Beach Bowl, and the bride-to-be has since been spotted at Williams' Wimbledon and US Open matches and the launch of her New York Fashion Week collection.

However, on Friday she posted on Instagram that she was at home doing her laundry, leading some to wonder whether she will turn up.

A blog post by Ms Markle, now deleted, is reported to have described Serena Williams as a close confidante and a favourite for lunchtime catch-ups in Toronto, where Markle has previously lived.  

Other celebrities rumoured to be attending include Ed Sheeran,  Ellie Goulding, and model Cara Delevingne.

It is thought George and Amal Clooney may be among the guests at the wedding.  Amal’s hairdresser Miguel Perez told Hola: “What I can confirm is that I will be in charge of Amal’s hair that day.”

Snubbed ex-girlfriends?

According to media reports, Prince Harry's former girlfriends have been snubbed.

Chelsy Davy, an ex-girlfriend of the groom with whom he has remained friends, was not been invited to the after-party at Frogmore House, according to the Mail on Sunday. It is thought the same applies to other former flame Cressida Bonas. 

Also allegedly left off the guest list is Pippa Middleton, after Meghan Markle was conspicuously not seen at her wedding ceremony.

According to tabloid reports, he has snubbed his cousin Lady Amelia Windsor, not inviting her to the wedding at all.

The 22-year-old student and fashion model is 32nd in line to the throne.

A friend told The Sun: “They were a little surprised not to be invited as they were looking forward to going.

“Amelia is creating quite a name for herself with her modelling and Instagram posts.

“Perhaps Harry just wanted to keep the family invited to a small number or maybe he didn’t want anyone upstaging the bride.”

Members of the public

Some members of the public have received an invitation to wait in the grounds outside the chapel to watch the bride and groom and their wedding guests arrive and leave.

Invitees will be made up of 100 pupils from two local schools, The Royal School and St George's School, as well as representatives from Prince Harry’s key charities and members of the public from all over the UK who have served their communities. They include:

Philip Gillespie

Philip, 30, from Ballymena lost his right leg in an IED incident in Afghanistan and now raises funds and awareness for ABF The Soldiers' Charity. He has just taken part in Invictus Games UK Team Trials for rowing, swimming and archery.

Rosie Ginda

Rosie, 34, from Birmingham is the founder of Miss Macaroon, a social enterprise that provides culinary training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged young people.

Pamela Anomneze

Pamela, 52, from Haringey is the manager of Studio 306 Collective CIC, a social enterprise that helps those recovering from mental health issues through the creative arts.

Amelia Thompson

Amelia, 12, from Dronfield Woodhouse was caught up in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. Amelia, who was given a pair of tickets, asked her mother to forfeit her chance to attend and instead let the second ticket go to Sharon Goodman. Mrs Goodman’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, was killed in the terror attack last year.

The couple will also invite 530 members of staff from the Royal Household and Crown Estate and more than 600 people from the Windsor Castle community.

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Who won't be going?

Among the royals not invited are Lady Amelia Windsor and her sister, Marina; Gabriella and Frederick Windsor;  Lady Davina Lewis and Gary Lewi; and Lady Helen Taylor and Timothy Taylor.

It has been confirmed that American president Donald Trump has not been invited to the wedding. When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married in 2011, Commonwealth and European political figures were present but the then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle were not invited. However, as Meghan is the first American to marry into the Royal family since 1937, many wondered if Trump would be invited.

Yet on April 10, a Kensington Palace spokesperson 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."

In the past Trump has made unfavourable remarks about Harry's mother, Diana, telling Howard Stern in 2000 he would have "slept with Princess Diana without hesitation" before adding "She was crazy but you know these are minor details". 

He also publicly commented that the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry’s sister-in-law, was "stupid" after she was photographed topless in France in 2012.

Theresa May will also not be attending the wedding, despite her predecessor David Cameron attending the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011.

Because of Prince Harry and Barack Obama's burgeoning friendship – the royal interviewing the former president for Radio 4's Today programme at the end of 2017 – there were suggestions that Obama would be on the royal guest list.

However Kensington Palace confirmed on April 10 that Barack Obama would not be attending the wedding, saying: "President and Mrs Obama are not coming to the wedding, but the couples look forward to seeing each other soon."

Justin Trudeau has also confirmed he is not attending the wedding, in spite of the fact that Meghan has lived in Toronto for years and Prince Harry's Invictus Games were held in Canada last year.

When asked at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on April 19 he said: "I, of course, wish them the very best. But I have important responsibilities elsewhere."

The invitations

Invitations have been posted to 600 lucky guests, with a select 200 close friends invited to an after party at Frogmore House, Windsor.  

Royal sources have said the guest list will be restricted to those who have a direct relationship with the couple, both because St George’s Chapel is relatively small and because the prince is not in the direct line of succession.

Some members of the public have received an invitation to wait in the grounds outside the chapel to watch the bride and groom and their wedding guests arrive and leave.

The invitations, above, were produced by Barnard & Westwood, which has held the "Royal Warrant for Printing & Bookbinding by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen" since 1985.

They read: "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales K.G., K.T. requests the pleasure of the company of … at the Marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales with Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday 19th May 2018 at 12 Noon followed by a reception at Windsor Castle."

Die-stamped in gold and then burnished, the invitation features The Three Feather Badge of The Prince of Wales. They also reveal that the dress code is Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge Suit, or Day Dress with Hat.  

The rules guests must follow

As well a dress code, guests have reportedly been sent meticulously detailed instructions for the big day. The seven pages of 'critical guidance', according to the Mail on Sunday, ban cameras and bulky bags, adding that guests will be asked to "surrender mobile telephones and any devices used for image capture".

 The instructions further specify that guests should not wear medals, in a list of suggestions about accessories that includes: "No swords."

Two driving routes have been suggested with guests required to meet at the Windsor Farm Shop, founded in 2001 after the Duke of Edinburgh had an idea to support local businesses by selling produce.

There, three miles away from the venue, guests will be put through security checks and asked to show identification before being ushered onto buses to travel to Windsor Castle. 

The guidance, the newspaper reports, states: "It should be noted that gifts cannot be brought to St George's Chapel or the Reception that follows at Windsor Castle."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have asked instead for guests who wish to give gifts to donate to seven chosen charities to honour their big day.