As chummy as Prince Harry is with Barack and Michelle Obama, the former U.S. president and first lady did not make Meghan Markle and Harry's royal wedding invite list because of their past positions in the White House. Daily Mail's royal reporter Rebecca English and Daily Express's royal reporter Richard Palmer both revealed just now that in fact, no political leaders from the U.S. or U.K. are invited to the impending nuptials. That means no President Trump, Melania Trump, and no British Prime Minister Theresa May, either.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson told Palmer, “It has been decided that an official list of political leaders—both U.K. 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.” As Palmer explains in more layman's terms, because Harry isn't a future king, all his and Markle's wedding guests will just be people they know personally. "Nobody will be invited because of the position they hold," Palmer wrote.
A source told English that despite the Obamas not being invited to the wedding, Markle and Harry "are very much looking forward to seeing them soon." The future double date is perhaps Markle and Harry's way of saying we're sorry and we really, really wanted to invite you (really!!), but we didn't want to start drama with the bigly-sensitive current president, Donald Trump.
The Obamas did try to get a wedding invite though. When Markle and Harry's engagement was announced, the Obamas personally congratulated the couple on Twitter. "Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement," Barack wrote. "We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together."
The Obamas were also not invited to the first royal wedding, although other heads of state from Commonwealth counties like Australia, Canada and New Zealand were. Insiders speculated the Obamas weren't invited back in 2011 due to the added security costs.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
