Harry and Meghan: Wedding Suggestions and Musings - Page 158

jacqui24 · #**3141** 04-11-2018, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cepe

Are the Obamas and Trudeaus really good friends of Meghan and Harry?

Or are they people who get on well together and have some interests in common?

I don't see a true friendship - people that you know just have to be at your wedding or it wouldn't be the same. The kind of friends who you contact on a regular basis and share/d experiences with.

I have seen an enormous amount of hype in the UK media who just were itching for a row to blow up.

Harry and Obamas are at the minimum good working friends. At 600 people, he's certainly inviting people that has had a lot less interaction with due to work. They certainly share a bond strong enough that Obama gave his first post-presidency interview to Harry when that was highly coveted by a lot of journalists. As for Trudeaus, Meghan has only had personal contact with Sophie, nothing from a work perspective. They are certainly good friends with Mulroneys, and that's how Meghan knows them from. I remember she posted a picture of her and Justin having a discussion at One Young World leadership summit, and she gave a shout out to Sophie and the Mulroneys telling them they were missed. So I think we can safely say they are personal friends.

ACO · #**3142** 04-11-2018, 09:55 AM

Meghan and Sophie Trudeau definitely were friendly with each other. Jessica and Meghan had a few candid pictures of the three of them shopping, doing yoga, and hanging out at events. So I think it is safe to to say the Trudeaus would have been invited on that level alone, but I completely understand the stance they took.

MaiaMia_53 · #**3143** 04-11-2018, 06:24 PM

Exactly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pranter

The Obama's weren't invited to the Cambridge wedding either. An old article:

Obamas not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal wedding | Daily Mail Online

One difference is that William and Kate had never met the Obamas prior to their wedding. They were not friends of the Obamas, as Harry is. Meghan is also closely acquainted with the Trudeaus and they are not invited either. I think it's obvious that today's rough political climate caused chiefly by the current occupant in the WH is the main reason for treading carefully re invites of a perceived 'political' nature. I believe the Obamas and the Trudeaus would have been invited to H&M's wedding otherwise.

As we know, some heads of state were invited to W/K's wedding, but the political attendee list was allowed to be trimmed by W/K personally with the Queen's approval. Also, it's significant to note that Queen Elizabeth hosted the Obamas at a state dinner in May 2011, shortly after W/K's wedding. I also think it's significant that KP said Meghan & Harry will be meeting with the Obamas sometime after their wedding, and that both couples are looking forward to getting together.

I doubt many people in the mainstream media are aware of Meghan's connection with the Trudeaus. She knows them both and counts Sophie Trudeau as a friend, and was likely introduced to her by Jessica Mulroney. It's too bad that politics prevents H&M from inviting friends who happen to be current or former politicians. But the royals will likely make up for the decision to steer clear of inviting the Trudeaus and the Obamas by having private and public get-togethers with them in the future.

Madame Verseau · #**3144** 04-11-2018, 06:25 PM

Trump would not have taken it well if the Obamas and the Trudeaus were invited, despite the relationships, and he wasn't. The UK government was pushing for Harry and Meghan not to invite Obama out of fear of offending Trump. I'm not sure if Trump was pushing for an invite and was hoping Teresa May would press the issue for the sake of UK-US relations. Looks like Harry and Meghan flipped the script and said no politicians, period, UK politicians too. Meghan is on the record for not being a fan of Trump, and he's probably not on Harry's good side because of the crude things Trump said about Diana. This move insured one less drama about their wedding.

Rudolph · #**3145** 04-11-2018, 06:29 PM

American Presidents don’t attend royal weddings. Not for the Cambridges, not for Charles and Diana and not for Elizabeth and Philip. There was zero expectation that Trump would get an invite. He knows that.

We’re told that everyone invited to the wedding will have a personal connection to Harry and Meghan.

The fact the Obamas and Trudeaus aren’t attending is an indication that they’re not as close as we’ve been lead to believe. That’s my take.

Pranter · #**3146** 04-11-2018, 06:56 PM

I've read (not idea if accurate) Meghan is friends with the Trudeaus and had gone shopping with Mrs Trudeau.

I don't think either Harry or Meghan are 'friends' of the Obamas, they know them in passing from doing events with them but I think they are in the acquaintance category more than the friend category.

LaRae

**Somebody** · #**3147** 04-11-2018, 07:16 PM

I'm quite sure the majority of the people that will be attending are in the acquaintance category; they don't have 600 family members and friends... (probably most of the acquaintances consider themselves friends but that's a friend or family member for almost every day of the year (and they cannot overlap between them)...

The photographer of the engagement pictures is invited with his wife. He met them once! Quite sure their relationship with the Trudeaus and Obamas is closer...

Rudolph · #**3148** 04-11-2018, 07:21 PM

I don’t think it was stated all 600 people invited would be ‘friends’ but that their would be a personal connection.

That can include charity partners, members of the military etc.

The Cambridges invited former PMs Major and Thatcher but didn’t invite Tony Blair.

No one would be upset if Sophie Trudeau attended or Michelle Obama. I just think the extent of their relationships has been exaggerated in the press

Dman · #**3149** 04-11-2018, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudolph

I don’t think it was stated all 600 people invited would be ‘friends’ but that their would be a personal connection.

That can include charity partners, members of the military etc.

The Cambridges invited former PMs Major and Thatcher but didn’t invite Tony Blair.

No one would be upset if Sophie Trudeau attended or Michelle Obama. I just think the extent of their relationships has been exaggerated in the press

I’m no too sure their friendships have been “exaggerated.” I just think Harry and Meghan are just approaching their wedding guest list differently.

ACO · #**3150** 04-11-2018, 07:48 PM

One PM invited but the another not? People made a fuss over the idea of the Obamas. They papers said they "snubbed" Theresa May. I think they made the right decision overall. Keep politics out of it.

cepe · #**3151** 04-11-2018, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudolph

I don’t think it was stated all 600 people invited would be ‘friends’ but that their would be a personal connection.

That can include charity partners, members of the military etc.

The Cambridges invited former PMs Major and Thatcher but didn’t invite Tony Blair.

No one would be upset if Sophie Trudeau attended or Michelle Obama. I just think the extent of their relationships has been exaggerated in the press

I agree. UK press are forever doing this - as Harry said, he only had to smile at a girl and the press had him dating/engaged.

Osipi · #**3152** 04-11-2018, 08:21 PM

It has absolutely nothing to do with who is sitting, sleeping or barking in the White House at this time. *No* political figures or heads of state or crowned heads were on the guest list. We can't compare it to W&K's wedding either or Charles and Diana's. C&D's was a state wedding. W&K's was a semi-state wedding. Harry and Meghan's is a private wedding.

We do have foreign royals attending in Prince Seeiso and his wife from Lesotho but they are most definitely friends of the couple. It cannot be construed as political or "official". This is a personal wedding and all the guests will have a personal connection to the couple.

I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the wedding. If someone wants to rant and rave in the media about the political atmosphere that doesn't surround it, I'm going to ignore those articles. Simple.

O-H Anglophile · #**3153** 04-11-2018, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudolph

The Cambridges invited former PMs Major and Thatcher but didn’t invite Tony Blair.

I don't think these two were so much guests of W & K, more like guests of the Queen or the Royal Family as all the Knights of the Garter were invited.

Osipi · #**3154** 04-11-2018, 08:30 PM

The key words here are "Knights of the Garter". It had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with being a Knight of the Garter.

**Somebody** · #**3155** 04-11-2018, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudolph

No one would be upset if Sophie Trudeau attended or Michelle Obama. I just think the extent of their relationships has been exaggerated in the press

There friendship might have been exaggerated but I am quite sure that there are several people among the 600 invitees with a less personal connection to the couple than the Obamas and Trudeaus (for example, the previously mentioned photographer). However, they wisely decided not to invite them as that could cause issues (as it isn't unthinkable a rant of the POTUS would follow if the former FLOTUS was invited; and if not, the media would make it an issue). So, I am not so sure that 'nobody would be upset' - not that it should be the one and only decisive factor but taking political consequences into account is needed if you are the monarch's grandson even at your 'private' wedding.

Countessmeout · #**3156** 04-11-2018, 09:56 PM

I don't see the arguing that they are only 'friendly co-workers' and not friends.

There are plenty of co-workers, and even just plain aquintances, who will be invited. Like members of charities Harry has worked with, or celebrities like David Beckham that Harry may have met at a handful of events. Or the victims of the tower fire, who have been invited, he has met once. Certainly the Obamas are more familiar then many of those who are attending.

And going to yoga, shopping and other things with Sophie, certainly is more then meeting at the odd cocktail party like some guests.

I think it is simple matter of they decided to distance themselves from any political debate. Obama might be the former president, but he is still that, and would cause a lot of talk. And Trudeau is the prime minister. If he and his wife were invited, and not the PM of the UK may be sticky too.

Hopefully it was a decision in the end made by the couple alone.

AlowVera · #**3157** 04-11-2018, 10:03 PM

Yes there are different levels of friendship, like that unprofessional Gina. You can work together and be colleagues and be friendly have a great work relationship and still not be close friends.

Rudolph · #**3158** 04-11-2018, 10:11 PM

If Sophie Trudeau attended it would be as a ‘friend’ of Meghan’s not as the PM’s wife. Yet she’s not going.

Theresa May’s spokesperson said the PM wasn’t expecting to be invited. So I doubt she’s too concerned.

Osipi · #**3159** 04-11-2018, 10:23 PM

What it really boils down to is that none of us (the media included) can put any kind of a level on personal friendships of people we don't know and only see them interacting with each other in public.

These people work together and know the value of diplomacy and how to put on a "game face" and work together for a common cause. Whether or not a friendship exists beyond the public level is not something that is made known to us for the most part.

I think its best to just accept that this is what Harry and Meghan are doing for their wedding and leave it at that without assuming behind the scenes friendships that may or may not exist.

Just my two cents worth.

ACO · #**3160** 04-11-2018, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudolph

If Sophie Trudeau attended it would be as a ‘friend’ of Meghan’s not as the PM’s wife. Yet she’s not going.

Theresa May’s spokesperson said the PM wasn’t expecting to be invited. So I doubt she’s too concerned.

But she IS his wife at the end of the day. It is a tricky situation. Anyways they seemed to go out of their way to make it seem like it wasn't a personal thing like with the comment with the Obamas. I can't say the same for Trump.

Here is a list of TV coverage for the wedding. Busy week as expected.

http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/roya...ls-1202750406/