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Royal Wedding guest list and celebrities – who was invited to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s big day?
PRINCE Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle had people around the world fixated on every little detail.
The Royal Wedding was always going to be a star-studded affair, with the couple having many high-profile pals. Here's what we know about the extensive guest list...
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Who was invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding?
The wedding invitations were printed on March 22, and the couple kept fairly tight-lipped about their guest list.
There were not as many wedding guests as when Prince William tied the knot in 2011, but that was to be expected.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding took place at Westminster Abbey, with 1,900 guests but St George's Chapel, Harry and Meghan's venue, only holds 800 people.
They also invited 2,640 members of the public on the day to the Windsor Castle grounds including
Around 600 people were invited to the service which took place at St George's Chapel on Saturday, May 19.
Unfortunately, those wanting a glimpse of Prince Louis on the day were disappointed, as the palace confirmed he would not be attending - instead being cared for by a nanny nearby on the day.
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It was confirmed on May 16 that Prince George would be page boy and Princess Charlotte would be a bridesmaid at the Royal Wedding.
On Harry's invite list were ushers Tom Inskip and Guy Pelly, while Army comrades who he served alongside in Afghanistan also made the cut.
All three of Princess Diana's siblings attended - Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer, as well as his daughter Kitty.
A fleet of glamorous pals including tennis ace Serena Williams (alongside her Reddit founder husband Alexis Ohanian), Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, and stylist Jessica Mulroney all showed up.
Several of her Suits co-stars flew over for the big day - Patrick J Adams, who plays her on-screen love interest, was joined by his Pretty Little Liars actress wife Troian Bellisario, Rick Hoffman, Vanessa Ray, Gina Torres, Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty.
Two of Prince Harry's former flames, Cressida Bonas and Chelsy Davy both scored invites.
George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, James Corden, Tom Hardy, Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford were all spotted at the service too.
Long time royal friend Sir Elton John, with husband David Furnish, was at the ceremony and is believed to have performed a mini concert for the happy couple at their reception following the nuptials.
David and Victoria Beckham, long-time friends of the royals who have both been honoured by the Queen made the short trip to Windsor.
US TV titan Oprah Winfrey was one of the surprise names to attend.
Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and his wife, Princess Mabereng, who have worked alongside the Prince and his charity Sentebale since 2006, also attended.
Other surprising names to attend included pop star James Blunt and his wife Sofia, rugby ace James Haskell and his fiancee Chloe Madeley, soul singer Joss Stone, and rugby legend Sir Clive Woodward and his wife Jayne Williams.
Why were no political figures invited?
In addition to Donald Trump, a whole host of political big names including President Obama, his wife Michelle, and Theresa May did not make the cut.
While David Cameron, then the Prime Minister, attended Prince William's wedding in 2011 - the situation was different for Prince Harry's.
A Kensington Palace spokesman explained prior to the event: "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."
However, former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major was a guest at wedding, with wife Norma, as he was appointed as a special guardian over both Princes William and Harry following the death of their mother, Lady Diana, in 1997.
Did Elton John perform at Harry and Meghan's wedding?
The Sun revealed back in February that Elton John would be attending the Royal Wedding.
The Rocket Man cancelled two Las Vegas gigs on the same May weekend as the royal nuptials, which left him free to attend and perform.
He arrived with his husband David Furnish and sang three songs during a lunchtime reception held by the Queen.
The singer was a close friend of Harry’s mum Princess Diana and was among a handful of celebrities to attend Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
It was the same venue where he famously sang Candle in the Wind at Diana’s funeral in 1997.
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Did Barack Obama attend the Royal Wedding?
It was reported that the couple were keen to invite Barack Obama to the wedding rather than Donald Trump - which had all the makings of a sticky political situation.
The 33-year-old prince has become good friends with Obama and his wife Michelle since bonding with them during the Invictus Games.
But government mandarins pleaded with the couple to change their minds as Britain's relations with Trump's White House sank to their lowest ebb since his election.
Either way, neither Obama or his wife Michelle were at the big day.
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Who were the ushers and bridesmaids?
The ushers, bridesmaids and page boys were revealed as the day approached:
Ushers:
- Tom "Skippy" Inskip, 31
- Charlie Van Straubenzee, 29
- Tom Van Straubenzee, 35
- Adam Bidwell, 42
- Arthur Landon, 37
- William Van Cutsem, 38
- Mark Dyer, 52
Bridesmaids:
- Princess Charlotte, 3
- Florence van Cutsem, 3
- Remi Litt, 6
- Rylan Litt, 7
- Ivy Mulroney, 4
- Zalie Warren, 2
Page boys:
- Prince George, 4
- Jasper Dyer, 6
- Brian Mulroney, 7
- John Mulroney, 7
Prince William performed the role of best man and Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle.
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What inspiring Brits were invited?
Numerous members of the public were selected to watch outside the chapel when the couple get married. These included:
- Amelia Thompson, 12 - schoolgirl caught up in last year's Manchester terror attack
- Zoe Ardunell, 20 - volunteer at Valley Kids charity, helping disadvantaged families
- Reuben Litherland, 14 - deaf pupil who is teaching his classmates sign language
- Rosie Gindway, 34 - entrepreneur who owns a baking business in Birmingham
- Pamela Anomneze, 52 - uses art to help people with mental health issues
- Amy Wright, 26 - volunteer social enterprise worker who chairs The Usual Place cafe in Dumfries, providing training opportunities to adults with additional support needs
- Jorja Furze, 12 - schoolgirl born with one leg who became a charity ambassador and mental health champion
More on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding
- Catherine Cooke, 53 - co-ordinator at the Foyle Women's Information Network
- Julie-Ann Coll, 35 - runs support group for parents dealing with child bereavement
- Tessa Hince and Hayley Ash, both 32 - run a Christmas community lunch in Shipston-on Stour, Warwickshire, catering for people who are lonely over Christmas
- Philip Gillespie, 30 - lost a leg in a bomb in Afghanistan and now raises funds for an Army charity
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