There is a high possibility that Prince Harry¹ and Meghan Markle's decision not to invite either UK or international leaders to their wedding is to avoid the presence of US President Donald Trump², a British royal etiquette³ expert said at a news conference to foreign press in London on Tuesday.

 

英国一位王室礼仪专家本周二在伦敦召开的一次记者招待会上对外国媒体表示，哈里王子和梅根-马克尔决定不邀请本国和他国领导人参加婚礼，很有可能是为了避开美国总统唐纳德-特朗普。

 

William Hanson, who is widely regarded as the United Kingdom's freshest and most trusted authority on etiquette and protocol⁵, said Markle had previously⁶ voiced her unfavorable opinion of Trump before her engagement, so with the wedding invitations excluding politicians is a diplomatic way to avoid having to invite him.

 

Instead, the couple have chosen 600 guests with whom they have a direct connection to witness their marriage on May 19 at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel⁷.

 

Despite Harry and Meghan's wedding being an important national occasion, the prince is not in the immediate⁸ line of succession. As it stands, Harry is fifth in the line to the British throne behind his father Prince Charles, his brother Prince William the Duke of Cambridge, and William's two children, and Harry will become sixth in line when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third baby - due very soon - is born.

 

When asked how much Markle's previous marriage and divorce matter to the royal court, Hanson said it would have been more of an issue if Harry were directly in line to the throne, although the royal family has relaxed their attitude to divorce during the Queen's reign⁴.

 

The couple have announced that they will be inviting⁹ more than 2,000 members of the public into the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch part of the wedding.

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