http://time.com/5238468/royal-Wedding-guest-list/
The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is set to be a much smaller affair than the 2011 nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. But that doesn’t mean the guest list doesn’t still include a number of notable attendees.
While 2,640 members of the public have been invited to watch the arrivals of Harry and Meghan at Windsor Castle on May 19, only around 600 guests have been asked to attend the actual ceremony at St. George’s Chapel as well as the subsequent lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen at St. George’s Hall. This group will then be cut down to 200 of their closest family and friends for a party hosted later that night by Harry’s father, Prince Charles, at Frogmore House.
Here’s everything we know about the royal wedding guest list—from everyone who’s definitely invited to those who have dropped hints they are.
The Queen and Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth has formally given her consent for her “most dearly beloved grandson” to marry Markle and is expected to attend the royal wedding alongside her husband, Prince Philip.
There is a slight chance Philip won’t be able to make it as he is still recovering from hip replacement surgery. However, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace has said they “very much hope” he will be there.
Prince Charles
Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, will attend the royal wedding before hosting a party later that evening at Frogmore House for 200 of Harry and Meghan’s closest friends and family members.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Just as Harry was William’s best man when he married Kate Middleton, William will take on the same role at Harry’s wedding to Markle. William and Kate’s two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are also expected to participate in the ceremony as a page boy and bridesmaid, respectively.
However, the palace has confirmed that the third royal baby, Prince Louis, will not be in attendance.
Meghan Markle’s parents
Both Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, and father, Thomas Markle Sr. are coming to the wedding. The two will each play a role in the nuptials, with Meghan’s mom accompanying her on the car ride to Windsor Castle before her dad walks her down the aisle, according to a statement from Kensington Palace.
Both parents, who are divorced, will arrive in the U.K. the week before the royal wedding to spend time with Prince Harry’s close family members, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Following Harry and Meghan’s engagement announcement, Kensington Palace also released a congratulatory statement on behalf of Ragland and Markle Sr. “We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry,” the two wrote. “Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents.”
Princess Diana’s siblings
Kensington Palace has confirmed that not only will all three siblings of the late Diana, Princess of Wales—Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Jane Fellowes, and Earl Charles Spencer—attend the wedding, but Lady Jane will also give a reading during the ceremony.
“Prince Harry and Ms. Markle both feel honoured that Lady Jane will be representing her family and helping to celebrate the memory of the late Princess on the wedding day,” the Palace said in a statement.
Priyanka Chopra
In a January interview with Harper’s Bazaar Saudi Arabia, Markle’s close friend Priyanka Chopra teased not only an appearance at the royal wedding but also a potential bridesmaid role. She has since revealed that while she will be at the wedding, she isn’t in it.
“I’m super excited about her and her big day,” Chopra said in an interview with PEOPLE Now. “It’s not just going to be life-changing for both of them, it’s life-changing for the world that needs to see strong women as icons, and I think Meghan has the potential to be that.”
The Spice Girls
During an appearance on The Real in February, Mel B—a.k.a. Scary Spice—let slip that all of the Spice Girls had been invited to the Royal Wedding. “Yes,” she told the talk show’s hosts when asked if the beloved girl group would be in attendance. “Why am I so honest?”
Mel also seemed to hint that she, Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell would be performing at the reception.
Prince Seeiso of Lesotho
Prince Seeiso of Lesotho has confirmed that he and his wife, Princess Mabereng, will be attending the royal wedding in May. The prince of the southern African country co-founded the Sentebale charity with Prince Harry in 2006.
“An invitation apparently is on the way,” he told SABC news, according to the Daily Mail. ‘These invitations, they sometimes either bring them in a stagecoach or boats or whatever, but we will be there be in May.”
Who won’t be there
Kensington Palace announced that the royal couple would not be inviting political leaders to their big day. So don’t expect President Barack Obama, a friend of Prince Harry’s, to show with Michelle Obama. For that matter, don’t expect President Donald Trump or British Prime Minister Theresa May to be in the mix either.
The post New world news from Time: Who’s Invited to the Royal Wedding? Here’s Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Guest List appeared first on OMNI POP MAG.
