Royal Wedding invitees: Mrs David Cameron and Ms Miriam Gonzalez Duantez
Guest stress: Samantha Cameron and Miriam Gonzalez Duantez chose to use very different official names
It was Ms Gonzalez, 42, who during last years General Election said publicly that she was willing to help with the campaign, but that unlike Samantha Cameron would be unable to take time from work and her family life.
Elton John is the most notable of these. But unlike many of the politicians, his invitation included his partners name, David Furnish, rather than, say, Mrs Elton John.Under the British Royal Family section of the guest list, some 40 names appear. This bit, at least, was stra! ightforw ard enough. The Palace courtiers were on safe ground.The Queen is at the very top, of course, followed by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Prince Harry. It continues like that, roughly in order of ascendency to the throne, and includes glamorous Lady Gabriella Windsor.
Write stuff: Prince William and Kate Middleton have certainly had their work cut out on the invite front At the bottom is former Royal wild child Miss Marina Ogilvy, who became pregnant out of wedlock, and is the daughter of the Queens cousin Princess Alexandra. Last is the least-known member of the Royal Family, Lady Saltoun the widow of Queen Victorias great-grandson Alexander Ramsay of Mar.
It might seem logical that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, would top the list of clerics. But in fact he is sandwiched between The Most Reverend Gregorious, Archbishop of the Greek Archdiocese of Thysteria and Great Britain and Anthony Bayfield, a little-known rabbi.The reason is that it was decided to mix up the guests in this section of the list so as not to cause offence by appearing to favour one faith over another.And what a mixed bunch they are as well as Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu representatives, there are also members of minority faiths, among them Jains, Zoroastrians and Buddhists.
About 40 foreign royals and 60 governors-generals and realm prime ministers have confirmed their attendance. Listing this lot, one might think, would also be diplomatically tricky but trouble was averted by putting them in alphabetical order.
This section of the list includes Prince Albert of Monaco who will tie the knot himself on July 1 with South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock.The heads of government include Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her New Zealand counterpart John Key. Canadas prime minister Stephen Harper declined his invitation because he is focusing on his countrys M! ay 2 ele ction. There could have been more trouble for the protocol experts had the wedding been a formal state occasion.
But since it is not, world leaders such as Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy are not invited. Decisions on invitations were made by the couple jointly, said Clarence House.
As reported in the Daily Mail last week, neither Gordon Brown nor Tony Blair is invited. But sources dismissed reports that the former Labour PMs had been snubbed.Baroness Thatcher and Sir John Major have been invited, though Lady Thatcher politely declined. However, both are members of the Order of the Garter which Mr Blair and Mr Brown are not. It is strictly limited to the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales and no more than 24 members, or Companions.
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