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Who’s On The Guest List?

Updated Jan 31, 2020 | By Leeann Yee

President Obama and First Lady Michelle with the Queen.

If there’s one thing you can bet on right now, it would be that the week of April 29^th 2011, England will be filled with more glitz and glam than the Oscars. Since declaring the wedding date of William as Kate as a national holiday, you can be sure that anyone lucky enough to get an invite to the big day will be sure to attend. So who exactly will receive an invite?

Earlier this week when deciding on an official date, it was reported that the couple had ‘relevant parties’ to consider in making their final decision. Immediate family, policing and the government aside, there are a number of notable guests set to attend.

Since receiving the all clear to invite heads of state to the ceremony, Barack and Michelle Obama along with Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni may secure an invite.

Since the wedding is not a formal state occasion, William and Kate have flexibility in inviting close friends from their school days at St. Andrew’s University. Members of the Royal crowd, even Richard Branson’s daughter Holly -- who helped Kate during the brief break-up with William in 2007 -- are most likely to get an invite.

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Who’s On The Guest List?

As for the bridal party, it is expected that William’s younger brother, Prince Harry will be named Best Man, although no official announcements have been made as of yet. Kate’s younger sister Pippa Middleton will most likely fill the maid-of-honour slot, with other girls of the royal family as her bridesmaids.

Although the guest list is impressive, it is understood that William is likely to focus the guest list more on friends, family, and charity workers than anything else.

William and Kate have it a little easier than the royals, who married before them. In 1981 when Charles and Diana married, some 3,500 guests were invited. Westminster Abbey is much more intimate -- relatively speaking -- as it seats only 2,000.

For the rest of us who aren’t planning to fly out to London, we’ll have to be content watching the “classic example of what Britain does best” -- royal weddings -- from our living rooms.

{Photography WPA Pool/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images}

This article was originally published on Nov 24, 2010