After months of speculation, it has been confirmed that Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will not attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding in May. The former US President and his wife are good friends with Harry, and have supported his Invictus Games project in the past, but sadly they will not be able to make it to Windsor. A source told HELLO!: "The couples are looking forward to seeing each other soon." It's believed that the security implications of hosting a US President, past or present, would have been huge.
Sources continue to say that Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, have not invited any political leaders to their wedding apart from those they already have a direct relationship with. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are expected to be on the guest list; Harry knows the politician through his work with the Invictus Games. The Trudeaus also hosted Prince William, Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte during the Cambridges' royal tour of Canada in September 2016.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry is a good friend of the Obamas
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: "It has been decided that an official list of political leaders, both UK and international, is not required for Prince Harry and Ms Markle's wedding. Her Majesty's Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household."
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At the time of the wedding, Prince William and Kate will have welcomed their third child, making Prince Harry sixth in line to the throne. The decision to exclude political figures reflects Harry's position and the fact that this wedding is a family one and a much smaller affair than Prince William and Kate's 2011 nuptials.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple visited the royals at Kensington Palace in 2016
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Given Harry's close friendship with the Obamas, it was previously reported that the couple would attend the Prince's wedding. However, when Harry was quizzed about his guest list last year, and whether the Obamas were included, the royal told BBC's Today programme: "Well, I don't know about that. We haven't put the invites or the guest list together yet so who knows whether he's going to be invited or not. [I] wouldn't want to ruin that surprise."
