Royal Wedding: Beckham’s coming but no Obama

News that Britain’s royal wedding invites are in the post has touched off lively press speculation, with former England soccer captain David Beckham and the King of Bahrain tipped to be attending but not Barack Obama or Sarah Ferguson.

Royal watchers say Beckham, who worked with William on England’s failed bid to host the World Cup in 2018, and his ex-Spice Girl wife Victoria will be among the 1,900 guests at London’s Westminster Abbey on April 29.

Other lucky recipients of invites include William’s ex-girlfriends Jecca Craig and Olivia Hunt and Middleton’s ex-boyfriend Rupert Finch, newspapers said.

Britain’s Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton (L) pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London in a November 16, 2010 file photo. Britain’s Prince William is to marry his fiancee Kate Middleton on Friday, April 29, 2011.






Pop star Elton John, who was close to the prince’s late mother Princess Diana and sang at her funeral, is also expected to be going, papers said. He told Reuters last month he did not think he would get an invite.

Among the members of 40 foreign invited royals is the King of Bahrain, a decision criticised by British media as the island kingdom witnesses protests and bloodshed during its worst unrest for years.

However, US President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy miss out as the wedding is not classed as a full state occasion.

Ferguson, ex-wife of William’s uncle Prince Andrew who was herself married at Westminster Abbey in 1986, has also been left off the guest list, media said.

William’s office refused to confirm who had been invited but newspapers reported that Queen Elizabeth and William’s father Prince Charles had approved the guest list.

“The couple have made their own decisions about who to invite,” an unnamed royal aide told the Sun tabloid.
“Prince William has led a fairly ordinary life in the military and the couple’s guests reflect this.”

Royal officials have confirmed that 1,000 guests are friends and family, 50 will be members of Britain’s royal family, and 40 will be foreign royalty.

There will be 200 guests from the British government, parliament and diplomatic service, 80 guests from charities William is involved in, 30 people from the armed forces, and 60 senior government figures from Commonwealth countries.

About 600 people have been invited to a lunchtime reception after the wedding service at Buckingham Palace and 300 to an evening event hosted by Prince Charles.

Snub for Obamas as Royal sources reveal they will not be invited to Prince William's wedding

* American President left off the guest list as it is not a 'state occasion'
* Royal couple eager to ask ordinary citizens to attend rather than VIPs
* Heads of State who may attend include Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni

Uninvited: Royal sources have revealed that President Obama and his wife Michelle are not going to be invited to the Royal wedding as it is not classed as a state occasion

President Obama and his wife Michelle will not be invited to Prince William's wedding next year.

Because Prince William is not yet heir to the throne, his wedding to Kate Middleton is not classed as a ‘state occasion’ – and the couple feel under no pressure to fill the 2,000-strong guest list with heads of state, the Mail understands.

They are more eager to ask ordinary citizens and charity workers than foreign dignitaries and VIPs to what will be the first royal ‘people’s wedding’, courtiers suggested.

A handful of heads of state are likely to be invited in line with previous royal weddings, possibly including France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni.

'The People's wedding': William and Kate's courtiers have said they are more keen to invite volunteers and charity workers than VIPs to their wedding at Westminster Abbey on April 29

Nancy Reagan attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in her husband's absence in 1981 and also received an invite to Prince Andrew's 1986 wedding to Sarah Ferguson - despite that not being a state occasion

But the decision to exclude the American premier and his wife Michelle from the celebrations marks a break from tradition.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana invited then-American president Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy to their 1981 ceremony – though she came alone because the president was too ill to travel following an assassination attempt on him.

A senior courtier said: ‘It is certainly not the case that all foreign heads of state will be excluded. The guest list is still being drawn up and could change, but as things stand it’s right (to say Mr Obama will not be invited).’

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: ‘The wedding will not be a formal state occasion since Prince William is neither the sovereign nor the heir to the throne.’

The decision is an example of William’s single-minded desire to hold the first ever ‘people’s wedding’ by packing the pews with members of the public who have worked with his 21 charities.

And as William and Kate continue to thrash out the plans for Westminster Abbey on April 29, they are understood to be looking towards the Queen and Prince Philip’s austere 1947 nuptials as a template.

With a post-war Government facing huge cuts, the then Chancellor Hugh Dalton said only the decorations in Whitehall and outside the palace could be funded by the taxpayer.

And the Archbishop of York compared the wedding to that of a commoner ‘married this afternoon in some small country church’.

Conscious of the credit crunch and rising unemployment rates, William has vowed to have a wedding that is not as ‘ostentatious’ as his parents’ St Paul’s Cathedral ceremony, with 3,500 guests.

But the couple still want to encourage a ‘street party’ atmosphere to sweep the country – and Kate’s dress is expected to cost considerably more than Princess Elizabeth’s £1,200 gown, partly paid for with 300 rationing coupons.

A royal aide said: ‘It will be done properly and well, but not in an ostentatious and lavish manner. This time is more analogous with 1947. In 1981 a lot more people were invited to the wedding. The route to St Paul’s was also longer than it is to the Abbey. It was undeniably a bigger wedding.’

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: ‘The couple will be drawing on inspiration from elements of the 1947 and 1981 weddings – there are obvious similarities to both. They want to strike the right balance between intimacy and providing an occasion that can be enjoyed by everyone.’

In a growing sign of Kate’s formal acceptance into the royal fold, she was invited to the Queen’s annual pre-Christmas lunch with about 50 members of the Royal Family yesterday.

The traditional banquet at Buckingham Palace is reserved for family members – and following her engagement to William following an eight-year courtship, Kate finally counts in Her Majesty’s eyes.

She met many minor members of her new family for the first time, including children who may be among her bridesmaids.

The smiling 28-year-old was seen leaving Buckingham Palace with her fiance and his brother Prince Harry, 26, yesterday afternoon.

The Queen and Prince Philip hosted the sumptuous meal, understood to have been held in the Palace’s Bow Room, with their four children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - and their families.

Among the guests pictured at the palace yesterday were Charles and Camilla, Princess Beatrice, Zara Phillips (sporting a shorter bob haircut) and her brother Peter with his wife Autumn, who is due to give birth to their first child this month.

Edward’s wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, drove their seven-year-old daughter Lady Louise Windsor – tipped to be among Kate’s bridesmaids - to the lunch, while Princess Alexandra and James and Julia Ogilvy arrived with a boot full of Christmas presents.

Also there were Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, the Queen’s nephew Lord Linley and his family, Lady Sarah Chatto and her son Arthur, Lady Gabriella Windsor, Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor, and Lady Davina Lewis and her husband Gary.

Secrets of a royal tryst: British divorcee who boasted about kissing Prince Harry to tell all on U.S reality TV show

Secret of the royal tryst: 38 year old mother of two Catherine Davis spent an evening kissing Prince Harry four years ago

Catherine's brief royal encounter occurred when she bumped into Harry who at 21 was 13 years younger than her 'It was a long and lovely kiss' she says

Under strain: Harry and Chelsy, pictured in May, split up for six months last year after a series of rows about Harry's level of commitment and rumours of infidelities

A British divorcee who boasted about kissing Prince Harry is to be the latest star of a US TV reality show.

Blonde Catherine Davis is to appear in 'The Real Housewives of DC'.

And the 38 year old is expected to talk about her encounter with Prince Harry four years ago when he ended up kissing her following a night of partying.
Davis, a mother of two, was forced to deny rumours that their encounter went beyond a kiss and has always refused to say what Harry whispered to her as they parted.


Under strain: Harry and Chelsy, pictured in May, split up for six months last year after a series of rows about Harry's level of commitment and rumours of infidelities

The secret of the royal tryst is set to be revealed Davis appears in the reality series which also features socialite Michaele Salahi who made history by becoming the first person to ever gate-crash the White House.

The show will focus on the pampered lifestyle of Catherine who left Britain two years ago for a new life in the US capital.

Catherine's brief royal encounter occurred when she bumped into Harry who at 21 was 13 years younger than her.

She was divorced from her husband and at the time Harry was involved with girlfriend Chelsy Davey.

The pair ended up back at a friends house where they chatted into the early hours of the morning.

When she got up to leave Harry lifted her up and gave her a passionate kiss. She revealed details of the encounter in a Sunday newspaper.

She said at the time:'Harry lifted me off the floor and kissed me. I'm only 7st and he was holding me off the floor, kissing me. He must be at least 6ft 3in.

'I was absolutely speechless. I was against the wall and he literally lifted me off the floor and gave me a lovely kiss which I was stunned by.

'It was a long and lovely kiss. Afterwards I didn't say anything - I was genuinely, completely blown away.'
Catherine added:'He did kiss me again. It wasn't just once. I was definitely in a state of 'is this for real?''

Catherine said they exchanged numbers and swapped text messages, but she never heard from him again.

Two years after the encounter Catherine moved to Washington DC where she married a former White House photographer Charles Ommanney

It was her entry into the top social circles of US society and she caught the eye of producers of the Real Housewives when they were casting around for the new series.

The reality show, which has featured wives from Orange County, New York and New Jersey, has made stars of all the women taking part.

Chelsy is not likely to be pleased by the news. Her relationship with Harry is already under strain.

Harry has been left reeling after his girlfriend of six years revealed that she was going to quit London to move back to Africa to be with her family.
Chelsy, 24, moved to England three years ago to be closer to the third in line to the throne and was studying to become a trainee solicitor.

But despite being accepted by a prestigious City law firm, homesick Chelsy told Harry she just missed home too much.

Senior royal sources have stressed that the couple have not split up but friends say Chelsy's decision has put pressure on the relationship.

The couple have always had a tempestuous relationship and last year split up for almost six months after a series of rows about Harry's level of commitment and rumours of infidelities.

Afterwards the prince told friends that he 'had lost the best thing that ever happened to him' and promised to change his ways.

The DC series premieres in the US on August 5th.

Calamity Camilla: First she breaks her leg and now she's injured her shoulder.Prince Charles wife hit by bad lucks.

Back home: The duchess was stuck in Scotland for almost a week after the volcanic ash chaos, but travelled down to London on the Royal Train on Tuesday


It's only a fortnight since she broke her left leg in a hill-walking accident.

But things have got worse for the Duchess of Cornwall who has now strained a tendon in her right shoulder.

The second injury means Camilla is struggling to use her crutches and has taken to a wheelchair.

Yesterday she made light of her plight, explaining: 'I've got no leg and an arm on one side and no arm and a leg on the other.'

On her first official engagement since the fracture, the 62-year-old duchess told how she had received a letter asking about her health from a soldier who had a double amputation because of injuries he received in Afghanistan.


Although doctors expect the duchess to make a full recovery, the accident at Birkhall has raised concerns that she may have developed osteoporosis.

 
Brave face: Camilla at yesterday's reception at Clarence House for the Ebony Horse Club


Guest: Camilla, in her wheelchair, chats to BBC sports presenter Claire Balding about the benefits of horse-riding

Doughty: Camilla, who has broken her left leg and strained a tendon in her right shoulder, made light of her injuries, joking: 'I've got no leg and an arm on one side, and no arm and a leg on the other'.Brave face: Camilla at yesterday's reception at Clarence House for the Ebony Horse Club

The soldier, a member of 4th Battalion the Rifles of which Camilla is royal patron, wrote to her at Clarence House to enquire after her health.

'It really does put things in perspective,' she added.

Camilla broke her leg after catching her foot in a rabbit hole while walking near Birkhall, Prince Charles's Scottish home, on April 7.

She limped back to her car believing it was nothing more than a minor sprain but an x-ray the following day revealed that she had suffered a fracture of the fibula, caused by the leg twisting awkwardly underneath her.

After being stuck in Scotland for almost a week due to the volcanic ash chaos, she and Prince Charles travelled down to London overnight on Tuesday on the Royal Train.

The doughty Duchess, who was wearing a paisley-patterned dress from leader designer Anna Valentine - and a thick black sock on her injured leg to keep her toes warm - insisted that there was no point in sitting around feeling sorry for herself.

Yesterday, the duchess was holding a reception at Clarence House to publicise the work of the Ebony Horse Club, a charity which helps children from disadvantaged and ethnic minority backgrounds in Brixton, South London, learn to ride and is hoping to raise £1.7million to build its own riding centre.

Camilla is patron of the organisation which helps dozens of youngsters, many of whom who have never even seen a horse before, develop their social skills through interaction with the animals and even go on to ride competitively.

Mussei Kidane, 20, says he was saved from a life of crime by the charity, adding: 'We used to go to all these gymkhanas and when the other riders heard we were a bunch of kids of Brixton, they assumed we would be no good. We proved them wrong.'

Among the guests at today's reception was sports presenter Clare Balding who said: 'Even when I was undergoing treatment for cancer last year, riding kept me sane.

'The effect it can have on children is remarkable and it is important to show that you don't need to come from a privileged background to benefit from it. '

Miss Balding chatted at length with Camilla, whom she has met several times before, adding: 'I think she's a bit upset it's not a more glamorous accident.'

Although doctors expect the duchess to make a full recovery, the accident at Birkhall has raised concerns that she may have developed osteoporosis.

Prince Harry falls head-first from his horse during charity polo match, and hurls his mallet in disgust

Harry is furious after his fall He hurls his mallet in disgust... then stomps off the field.Horseman: Harry managed to avoid serious injury by rolling as he hit the ground, but appears to be nursing his shoulder

Crash landing: The Prince takes a breather after falling off his horse on to the hard ground

The Prince was raising money for his Sentebale charity which helps Aids orphans in Lesotho

Royal tumble: Prince Harry is thrown from his horse during a charity polo match in Barbados

Thrown: Harry comes off the horse as it stumbles to the floor and rolls as he makes contact with the ground

Heir-raising: Fortunately it is only Harry's pride that is damaged and his team go on to win the match

Going to ground: Harry's horse loses its footing during a sharp turn as he swings his mallet at the ball

This is the moment Prince Harry took a heart-stopping, head-first tumble from his polo pony during a charity match in the Caribbean yesterday.

The third in line to the throne was thrown from his mount as he attempted a sharp turn close to the goal mouth, causing the animal to lose its footing and slide across the ground in a cloud of dust and grass.

Fortunately the 25-year-old prince managed to dive forwards and execute an athletic roll, breaking the impact of his fall on the rock-hard field in Barbados.


Seconds later he picked himself up unharmed but was clearly upset at the blunder as he threw his mallet to the ground in disgust, ripped off his helmet and punched it. The pony was unhurt.

Harry's team went on to win the inaugural Sentebale Polo Cup, with the prince scoring one of their six goals.
But the moment evoked memories of the incident in which his father, Prince Charles, was knocked unconscious while playing the game and swallowed his tongue.

He was taken to hospital suffering concussion after the 2001 accident.

Speaking about the fall afterwards, Harry said: 'I'm a bit sore but it was all for a good cause so it was worthwhile in the end.

'Basically the horse slipped from underneath me, which does happen occasionally and is a but unfortunate.
'It probably looks very dramatic because I was trying to throw myself clear of the horse. I'm a bit sore but the horse is ok though.'

The Prince explained that he hadn't thrown down his mallet in anger at getting thrown but was furious that he may have lost Sentebale a sizeable donation.

He explained: 'The reason why I was throwing my mallet down was because I met this nice businessman at dinner last night who offered me $50,000 for Sentebale if I fell off my horse today.

'His wife turned round and said 'that's a bit harsh, you should give him $100,000 if he stays on.' And he agreed to seal the deal on that.

'So when I fell off, I threw down my mallet and shouted: "What a waste of $100,000!" I was furious with myself.

'Fortunately this extremely generous gentleman has already been in touch and told us that it was the clear that the horse fell over, rather than I fell off it, so he was happy to honour the $100,000. What a star!

'It's been an exhausting trip - I feel like I have been here a month not two days - but absolutely rewarding.
'Everyone from our local supporters to the Barbados government have bent over backwards to make this work for Sentebale. People have dug so deep in their pockets.

'It looks like we may have raised £500,000 for the vulnerable children of Lesotho, so I couldn't be more pleased.

'We are going to try to take the Sentebale Cup around the world but will definitely be coming back to Barbados as we have started it here and the island has such a special place in our hearts.'

Harry was playing at the exclusive Apes Hill Polo Club in Barbados to raise money for Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in memory of his late mother to help vulnerable Aids orphans in the African kingdom of Lesotho.

The 1,200 ticket match was a complete sell out and is expected to raise more than £100,000. Harry hopes to make the Sentebale Polo Cup an annual event.

Lesotho is one of the world's poorest nations and has been devastated by an HIV pandemic.

One third of its 1.8 million population is infected with HIV or Aids and 40 per cent of children are orphans as a result. Average life expectancy is just 40 years.

Harry visited the country during his gap year and was immensely moved by its plight.

In a speech to mark the occasion yesterday he told supporters: 'It seems to be one of life's cruellest ironies that when natural disaster strikes - whether it be earthquake in Haiti or years of drought and ravaging by HIV AIDS in Lesotho, it is always the most vulnerable, the most defenceless, the children, who are left exposed and needing the most help.

'We are making a real difference in Lesotho but it is not straight-forward.

'The problems are complex and our work, inevitably, is not without its issues. But we are there for the long term.'

During his visit to the island, Harry also did his bit to raise funds for the victims of the Haiti earthquake, by strutting his stuff at a Calyso concert after challenging donors to raise thousands to get him on his feet.

The royal joined revellers at a massive open air charity concert being broadcast live across the Caribbean on Saturday night when he made the impromptu offer to dance on stage in front of millions of viewers if they donated 5,000 Barbados dollars (£1,560) in the next 25 minutes.

The dare was announced by a compere to the cheering audience in the grounds of Farley Hill national park and a telephone number flashed on screen for viewers at home.

With moments to spare, the money came through and Harry, who was wearing a Haiti We Care t-shirt, blushed and groaned as he walked towards the floodlight stage.

'I can't believe I have let myself in for this. I think I'll just crowd dive instead,' he joked (after taking a quick sip of rum for Dutch courage).

He proved true to his word, however, and to loud whoops from the crowd, he walked through the throng and took his place centre stage.

Thankfully, he did not disgrace himself.

In fact the third in line to the throne displayed a surprising amount of rhythm as he jived to a pulsating calypso beat provided by singer Red Plastic Bag, real name Stedson Wiltshire, winner of last year's Barbados Calypso King title.

Afterwards the prince, who also made an undisclosed personal donation to the Haiti relief effort, quipped: 'There goes my credibility.'

Harry had hoped to visit to the disaster zone at the end of his Barbados visit but the trip has been postponed until later in the year.

It has been a packed weekend for the prince, who has conducted a series of engagements on only his second official foreign visit, including visiting a local children's hospital and attending a garden party for youngsters.

Last night he flew back to England to continue with his training as an Army Air Corps helicopter pilot.

He was told last week that he has passed the latest stage of his gruelling year-long course and hopes to progress to the Lynx aircraft later this year, possibly returning to Afghanistan in two years time.

Before he did, however, he couldn't resist a revenge dig at his elder brother, Prince William, who last week jokingly referred to Harry as 'the other ginger one' in a speech during his own tour of Australia.

Chatting to George Browne, 83, a former corporal in the Southern Caribbean Regiment who recalled meeting one of the brothers in 1995, Harry quipped: 'If it was William, he was already bald aged 12.