According to the Daily Mail, sources close to the royal family say U.S. President Obama and his wife Michelle will not be invited to Prince William’s royal wedding next year.
The prince prefers to hold the first ever “People’s wedding” and invite common folk like his fiancée, Kate Middleton.
The prince’s eye-opening decision to exclude the Obamas breaks with tradition of inviting heads of state to royal weddings (President Reagan and his wife were invited to Prince Charles’ wedding to Princess Diana in 1981).
The royal snub might stem from the fact that Mr. Obama refused to bow to his grandmother, the Queen of England, when they met last year. Obama compounded the insult by giving the Queen an iPOD loaded with his speeches.
Just a few days later, Obama bowed deeply to the Saudi King, which sparked outrage and condemnation here in the United states.
The prince’s attendant added: “It is certainly not the case that all foreign heads of state will be excluded. The guest list is still being drawn up and could change, but as things stand it’s right (to say Mr Obama will not be invited).”
A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “The wedding will not be a formal state occasion since Prince William is neither the sovereign nor the heir to the throne.”
