Royal Wedding: William and Kate invite 1,900
The most sought after invitation of the year, to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, has been sent out to almost 2,000 guests, St James’ Palace has confirmed.
Details of the guest list have not been released, leaving speculation as to who is invited running rife.
The Westminster Abbey congregation is expected to feature celebrities, leading politicians, heads of state and royalty from across the world.
Around 1,900 people will watch William and Kate exchange their marriage vows on April 29, with more than half the guests drawn from the couple’s family and friends, St James’s Palace said.
Royal watchers will be waiting to see if leading world figures like US President Barack Obama, singer Elton John or rapper Kanye West are among those taking their seats in the Abbey.
David and Victoria Beckham today declined to comment on the “private matter” of a possible invitation.
The number of guests will be reduced for the lunchtime reception, where around 600 relatives, friends and dignitaries will toast the couple at Buckingham Palace.
The evening dinner followed by dancing will be a more intimate affair, with just 300 of the couple’s loved ones gathering at the palace.
More than 200 members of the government, parliament and diplomatic corps will be amongst the guests along with 60 Governors-General and prime ministers from the Queen’s Commonwealth realms, and more than 40 foreign royals.
William’s charities will be represented by 80 people and 30 members of the defence services have been invited – a number expected to include the heads of the three Armed services.
There will also be representatives from the Church and other faiths.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will be at the head of the royal family group filling the pews, along with the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and William’s best man Prince Harry.
It emerged earlier this week that while the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will feature prominently amid the royal party, their mother Sarah, Duchess of York, has not been invited.
Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton will take pride of place in the Abbey along with sister Pippa, her maid of honour, brother James and other relatives.
Prime Minister David Cameron with wife Samantha, and opposition leader Ed Miliband and his partner Justine Thornton, are also likely to be on the guest list.
Celebrities attending could include Sir Elton, a friend of William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, or figures such as the singers Joss Stone and Kanye West, who both performed at the 2007 tribute concert for Diana.
Presenter Ben Fogle and ITN’s political editor Tom Bradby are both friends of William and could also be present. The latter was granted the first official engagement interview with the couple.
The prince is associated, as patron or president, with more than a dozen charities and organisations.
He is likely to have invited guests from his most prominent charitable interests – the homeless organisation Centrepoint, Tusk Trust, a wildlife conservation group and the Royal Marsden Hospital.
The couple’s friends are likely to be represented by university and schoolmates, the prince’s polo pals and his clubbing set.
Prominent faces could include the van Cutsem brothers, Edward, Hugh, Nicholas and William, as well as banker James Tollemache and William and Kate’s former housemate Fergus Boyd.
Nightclub impresario Guy Pelly, Sir Richard Branson’s daughter Holly and the prince’s close friend Thomas van Straubenzee could also be amongst the guests.
The invites (pictured) in their pale brown envelopes have been landing on doormats and in post boxes during the past few days.
The white cards are gilded along their edge with gold and the royal cypher – EIIR, the initials of the Queen, below a crown – is die-stamped on the invitation using the precious metal.
Below the cypher, with a space left for the guest’s name, are the words – ‘The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by the Queen to invite…to the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales K.G. with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday, 29th April, 2011 at 11.00am.’
The Lord Chamberlain’s Office is handling the ceremonial and formal elements of the wedding preparations and guests are asked to reply to his office.
The dress requirements are also stipulated on the card – ‘uniform, morning coat or lounge suit’.