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Princess Kate and Prince William in formal wedding attire© Balkis Press/ABACA/Shutterstock

Prince William and Princess Kate turn down wedding invite with heartfelt message

The Prince and Princess of Wales have a very busy schedule

Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
August 10, 2023
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The Prince and Princess of Wales often have a busy schedule as they tour the width of the breadth of the United Kingdom learning about charitable initiatives. The couple receive dozens of invites, and back in April, they had to turn down a wedding invite.

Katie Baddock, a member of the public and a royal fan, invited the royal pair to attend her wedding, but sadly William and Kate weren't able to attend. However, they did ask that Thomas Claridge, the head of royal correspondence, reply on their behalf in a touching letter. Katie shared the message on X, formerly known as Twitter, and it read: "Dear Miss Baddock, the Prince and Princess of Wales have asked me to thank you for your letter in which you invited Their Royal Highnesses to your wedding on 7th April 2023.

WATCH: Prince William and Kate Middleton bow and curtsy as they arrive at Jordanian royal wedding

"I sincerely apologise for the delay in response, but I trust that you understand. The Prince and Princess were extremely grateful for your kind invitation."

It continued: "Although they were regretfully unable to attend, Their Royal Highnesses would have me send their hopes that your wedding day was a happy and memorable occasion.

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"The Prince and Princess of Wales send you their best wishes for your future together, and thank you once again for taking the time to write." The message was signed off by Thomas.

Katie's followers were thrilled with the response, as one enthused: "How sweet and Kind of them! Congratulations on your wedding, dear. Wishing you your very own fairytale and a strong partnership for life," and a second asked: "So sweet! What would you have done if they actually showed up?" to which the royal fan admitted that she probably would have "fainted".

Prince William looked dapper in a navy blue suit
© Royal Hashemite Court
William and Kate attended the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa

Although William and Kate were unable to attend Katie's wedding, back in June, they were there when Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein tied the knot with his bride, Princess Rajwa.

The day after the romantic ceremony, the royal couple shared two beautiful shots of their time in Jordan, writing in the caption: "Celebrating the wedding of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein in Jordan yesterday."

The royal couple talking to the bride and groom
The royal couple talking to the bride and groom

The first image showed William, 40, and Kate, 41, arriving in the gardens at Zahran Palace where the ceremony took place. The Prince donned a navy suit with a blue patterned tie, while the Princess looked beautiful in a blush pink dress by Elie Saab, accessorising with a pair of striking morganite earrings and her Wilbur & Gussie clutch bag.

The second photo was a lovely portrait of the newly married couple smiling at one another after the ceremony. Architect Rajwa wowed in an Elie Saab wedding dress with a fitted bodice and an asymmetric neckline. She teamed her bridal look with an ethereal embroidered veil and a new diamond tiara.

kate and william riding on boat © Getty
William and Kate said how "grateful" they were for the invite

Both the Prince and Princess have ties with Jordan, with Kate's family living in Amman for several years during the mid-1980s and the couple enjoyed a 2021 holiday in the Middle East country with their children, even featuring an image from their time there on a seasonal Christmas card.

DISCOVER: Where the Prince and Princess of Wales spend the school holidays with their children

MORE: Inside Prince William and Princess Kate's close friendship with King Felipe and Queen Letizia

William visited Jordan in 2018 and was joined on a number of official visits by Crown Prince Hussein, and when the two men met after the ceremony they hugged.

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