Harry and Meghan: Wedding Suggestions and Musings

[XeniaCasaraghi]

And, I forgot about this until this morning ---When Sarah told Oprah on television that she was glad that both she and Diana were not at William's wedding, I believe that ruined any chance of any invitations to anything from William and Harry.

WoW I never heard that she said that; that is really poor taste.

 

[Leopoldine]

WoW I never heard that she said that; that is really poor taste.

This is the exact quote:
"I really love the feeling that sort of Diana and I both weren't there," said Sarah Ferguson in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey (...)

..courtesy of The Guardian.

It is so amazingly self-centered.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The Sun revealed that Prince Harry has not invited Aunt Sarah.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5494307/prince-harry-snubs-sarah-ferguson-meghan-markle-wedding

 

[ladongas]

Well, there goes his free place to stay in Verbier during ski season.

 

[Curryong]

Andrew half owns that Verbier ski chalet. Probably more than half owns it as he has reputedly a $13 million mortgage on it. Andrew wouldn't be forbidding any family/friends to use it.

The last time we saw Sarah and Harry together was in early 2012, when she, Harry, Andrew, his cousins and Cressida B. had a skiing holiday at Verbier. One visit hardly makes for a very warm and friendly constant relationship.

 

[Jacknch]

Please note that several posts have been edited. This is NOT a platform to debate the legitimacy of US presidential elections, nor is it a platform for members to comment on their personal or political feelings towards the incumbent US president.

 

[Missjersey]

This is the exact quote:
"I really love the feeling that sort of Diana and I both weren't there," said Sarah Ferguson in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey (...)

..courtesy of The Guardian.

It is so amazingly self-centered.

Holy smokes I didn't know that!

 

[Leopoldine]

Holy smokes I didn't know that!

Imagine a son of Diana reading that in 2011.

 

[American Observer7]

Inviting Obama while not inviting Trump would be a mistake of enormous proportions. Like it or not, this is not just a 'family' wedding, it's a public event. To invite Obama and not Trump would be seen as a (wholly unnecessary) snub towards the head of state of this country's most important ally.

Harry and Obama have met, what, a handful of times? They're not close friends from what I can see. Harry needs to understand he has a responsibility to the people who are covering the biggest part of the bill for this wedding - the British taxpayer who'll pay the security costs.

Like him or loathe him, Trump is the democratically elected leader of a nation with whom the UK has many, many important ties - economic, cultural, military. That should not be put at risk, even for the few years Trump may be president, so that Harry can have someone he's met a few times at his wedding. It shouldn't even cross his mind.

This is Harry and Meghan's wedding! President Obama will be there.

 

[Lady Nimue]

This is Harry and Meghan's wedding! President Obama will be there.

You seem certain. Why?

 

[M. Payton]

Oh dear, the former president is giving the bride away even though he never met her.......after all he is deep personal friends of the groom and bride even though he rarely see them even for tea, coffee or beer.........I sincerely hope that the only American to attend this wedding is the beautiful bride in a gorgeous gown with a tiara....after all it is the groom and bride that are getting married...No?

 

[Countessmeout]

Oh dear, the former president is giving the bride away even though he never met her.......after all he is deep personal friends of the groom and bride even though he rarely see them even for tea, coffee or beer.........I sincerely hope that the only American to attend this wedding is the beautiful bride in a gorgeous gown with a tiara....after all it is the groom and bride that are getting married...No?

Well then I hope the only Brit is Harry attending.

Clearly there will be more then one American in attendance: the one giving her away (her dad), her mom, her niece likely, not to mention friends, co-workers, goddaughters and so on who should make the list

But yes, the only 'assured' people who will be at the wedding are the bride and groom. Everyone else is up in the air.

And by that I mean- yes there are obvious invites like the royal family and so on, but tragedy could strike sadly. The only people who HAVE to be there are the bride and groom. No wedding without those two.

 

[Osipi]

What I'd like to know is just what is so important about Obama being at this wedding anyways? He's just another guy that Harry's worked with promoting similar causes as every time they seemed to have gotten together, the press was also invited along for photo ops and publicity.

I just don't see it. There have been many reasons given why it just isn't feasible yet people are insisting that the wedding just won't be a wedding without the presence of this one man. Personally, I'd rather see Sir Richard Branson there. He's cute and more my cup of tea.

 

[jacqui24]

Oh dear, the former president is giving the bride away even though he never met her.......after all he is deep personal friends of the groom and bride even though he rarely see them even for tea, coffee or beer.........I sincerely hope that the only American to attend this wedding is the beautiful bride in a gorgeous gown with a tiara....after all it is the groom and bride that are getting married...No?

I don't think anyone said Obama will be giving the bride away... unless I completely missed something?

And bottom line is, this might be a "private" wedding in terms of government not being involved as they would with a state event. However, not everyone there will be someone that the bride and groom regularly sees or grabs a beer with. There will be people that they work with, especially on the charity front for Harry that are considered working friends. That's the case with a lot of weddings I've been to, unless it's a super small wedding. This might be a small wedding for royal family standards, but it's not a small wedding by any means. Many people invite people they work with in the same department, but doesn't necessarily see outside of work all the time. With that being said, it wouldn't surprise me if Harry decided not to invite Obama because of all the drama that's been drummed up by media over this. Which is kind of sad as it's his and Meghan's wedding and they should be able to invite whomever they want without worrying about this kind of thing.

As for this creating a diplomatic problem, it's only a problem because of the current President can't stop being a child. This wouldn't be an issue with any other Presidents in modern history. However, I don't see this being as big of an issue based on the Piers Morgan interview as long as a state visit is in the cards. He seems to really want to meet the Queen.

 

[Mirabel]

What I'd like to know is just what is so important about Obama being at this wedding anyways? He's just another guy that Harry's worked with promoting similar causes as every time they seemed to have gotten together, the press was also invited along for photo ops and publicity.

I just don't see it. There have been many reasons given why it just isn't feasible yet people are insisting that the wedding just won't be a wedding without the presence of this one man. Personally, I'd rather see Sir Richard Branson there. He's cute and more my cup of tea.

That's what I think too!
It's not like he and Harry are best friends (or even friends at all!)
Yes, they know each other slightly, but I'd be very surprised if it's more than a nodding acquaintance.

There are probably many closer people that Harry and Meghan would prefer to invite.

 

[Royal Suitor]

What's so important is that Harry and Meghan have the right to invite whoever they want to their private wedding. I expect there will be friends and colleagues from Sentebale, Invictus Games, Suits, One Young World, etc. I doubt anyone is going to question why Jane/Joe Smith from UN Women is invited to the wedding. Are we going to want a tally of how many teas and beers they've had outside of work? No it will suffice to say that Harry and Meghan wanted them there so they must be close enough. I have no idea if Harry and the Obamas are friends or just friendly work colleagues. If others have proof one way or another please share with the group. M. Payton we do know that Meghan met President Obama briefly (as many have done at events) because she posted it on Instagram. http://http//www.livingly.com/Fun+F...articles/QIuTTcwOR4-/met+President+Obama+2015

 

[M. Payton]

Meeting someone does not make you my best friend forever, I meet people all the time and they do not come home with me ever......so if there is a problem with that then it is not my problem.

I have met tons of important people down to a former president when I worked in politics and even ambassadors, movie stars, all in another life time, not one of them became my BFF.......

I just don't get this attitude that a former president must be invited to the wedding as if he is the star of the wedding.........so what if Harry and Obama worked together for a charity, no big deal, it does not make or break relationship ever. Harry has worked most of his adult life for charities and knows most of them on a first name basis......does that make all of them his own personal friends.......don't think so! He needs those high powered, high profile people to come to help him for they have the bucks/money and they can help his cause. Why the total outrage if a former president is not invited by some here, who is going to be blamed if the former president does not get an invite......done with this conversation period.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

My husband and I invited work colleagues to our wedding. A few were work friends that we hung out with some outside of work, but most were just the people we worked with on a daily basis. I don't understand the thought that you must be BFFs and hang out on a personal social level with everyone you invite to your wedding.
Some of our parents' friends were on the guest list as well, it is just something you do, unless it is a very small, intimate wedding.
I imagine some on the guest list will be people Charles or the Queen want to invite. And none of us knows how close Harry or Meghan are to the people they work with in various capacities or if they even do dinner when in the same city--the guest list is for them to decide.

 

[Pranter]

I don't know why folks keep going on and on about it....


LaRae

 

[Ish]

Meeting someone does not make you my best friend forever, I meet people all the time and they do not come home with me ever......so if there is a problem with that then it is not my problem.

I have met tons of important people down to a former president when I worked in politics and even ambassadors, movie stars, all in another life time, not one of them became my BFF.......

I just don't get this attitude that a former president must be invited to the wedding as if he is the star of the wedding.........so what if Harry and Obama worked together for a charity, no big deal, it does not make or break relationship ever. Harry has worked most of his adult life for charities and knows most of them on a first name basis......does that make all of them his own personal friends.......don't think so! He needs those high powered, high profile people to come to help him for they have the bucks/money and they can help his cause. Why the total outrage if a former president is not invited by some here, who is going to be blamed if the former president does not get an invite......done with this conversation period.

In all likelihood, Harry and Meghan will be inviting people who work with the charities that they are patrons of. That’s where the Obamas come in; we’ve been given reason to believe that they’re on good terms with Harry and the Cambridges (as indicated by the private dinner at the Cambridges’ home last year), and Obama has worked with Harry on Invictus and did that radio interview with him in December. It’s reasonable to think that the Obamas are people whom Harry has worked with and is close enough with to include them on the list of work-related acquaintances that he would invite to his wedding.

The logistics is a bit trickier, though. While it might be fairly easy for you or I to invite, say Bob from Accounting - the hard part being figuring out where to seat him - it’s a bit harder to invite a former President of the United States - as he comes with a not exactly small security detail, and there is a concern that, given the current situation surrounding the visit of current President Trump, it might be seen as insulting to the current President if the Obamas are invited, but the Trumps are not.

Under normal circumstances it would be fairly reasonable to not expect the Trumps to get an invitation at all - this is not a state wedding, or even a semi-state wedding, and even at the weddings that did qualify as such (William’s, Andrew’s, and Charles’), the then-President did not attend. But these aren’t normal circumstances - with Brexit, the UK is in a tense position when it comes to maintaining good relationships with trading partners, the situation with the US is a bit rocky, and people in general are more sensitive to perceived slights than they were when William married. It is fairly reasonable to expect that some will be insulted if the Obamas are invited and not the Trumps, no matter how logical such a move might be.

 

[renzii]

Since Harry has worked with Michelle Obama on multiple occasions, and their relationship appears warm and friendly, maybe the invitation wil go to her and Barack can be her 'plus 1'!

 

[jacqui24]

The logistics is a bit trickier, though. While it might be fairly easy for you or I to invite, say Bob from Accounting - the hard part being figuring out where to seat him - it’s a bit harder to invite a former President of the United States - as he comes with a not exactly small security detail, and there is a concern that, given the current situation surrounding the visit of current President Trump, it might be seen as insulting to the current President if the Obamas are invited, but the Trumps are not.

Security detail for a former president is much less than a sitting president. In fact, there has been previous presidents that have given up their security details during their lifetime. Given how tight security will be at the wedding, there is no reason to believe that somehow security will be much more than when he normally travels. Certainly, not at the level of Nancy Reagan when she attended Charles or Andrew's wedding.

Speaking security. I know there was an article about a rumor of diverting flights to a different flight path that day. Aside from the noise, I'd think that's a smart move given that this wedding is televised both in UK and abroad. I know they didn't for Wessex wedding, but the level of terror threat was also different in those days.

 

[Leopoldine]

Didn't Harry mention to someone on a walkabout that he was going to set up a viewing party on the grounds of Kensington Palace for people associated with his charities?

 

[jacqui24]

He never said it, it was a rumor that came from one of the papers.

And I believe the article said a viewing party for supporters of the charity. I didn't take that as that'll be where the reps from the charity will be at.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Since Harry has worked with Michelle Obama on multiple occasions, and their relationship appears warm and friendly, maybe the invitation wil go to her and Barack can be her 'plus 1'!

I don't think royal weddings have a plus 1--you are either on the invitation list or not. If you are not on it, you don't get in.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

To honor his mother Princess Diana, could you see Prince Harry having her sister, Baroness Jane Fellowes do a reading at the wedding?

 

[Mbruno]

To honor his mother Princess Diana, could you see Prince Harry having her sister, Baroness Jane Fellowes do a reading at the wedding?

Isn't she called simply Lady Fellowes rather than Baroness Jane Fellowes ?

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

That is such an obscure suggestion, I cannot understand why people want to make everything about Diana. If anything just leave an empty seat like William did.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

That is such an obscure suggestion, I cannot understand why people want to make everything about Diana. If anything just leave an empty seat like William did.

Suggesting that Harry's aunt might do a reading? Why is that obscure? By all accounts Harry and William have a relationship with their mother's sisters.

 

[Abbigail]

I won't add to the redundant "will they, won't they" debate, re: Trump and Obama attending the wedding. I will just say that I'll be surprised if the Obamas aren't invited and in attendance, particularly Michelle.