Royal Wedding

There has been speculation in the press about the guest list for the wedding between Prince Harry and Miss Markel. An author has claimed that the President of the US is putting pressure on the UK government to obtain an invite to the wedding in exchange for a trade deal after Brexit. Only a few people can know whether this is true or not and the author is probably not amongst them.

The days have gone when royal marriages were used to arrange or cement international alliances. It is clear that it is a love match between Miss Markle and Prince Harry, and that this marriage has not been arranged or pre-ordained.

I am not expecting an invite to the wedding and I shall not be sending a congratulatory telegram or waving a flag.

I support the notion, however, that Miss Markle and Prince Harry are entitled to ask whoever they like to their wedding. Their marriage should not be used as a matter of improving international relations.

Like it or not, the current President of the US is a divisive character and when he is invited to the UK there will be demonstrations against the visit; which I shall not be attending. The marriage of any couple should not be marred by a demonstration against the visit of a foreign president, however. Therefore, the President should not be invited if it against against the wishes of the couple.

If the couple do feel, without pressure, that they want to invite the President then the marriage should be conducted in a place where all the guests and the flag waving public can be protected from the fury of some protesters.

Harry and his future wife are entitled, of course, to change the arrangements to get married quietly in a registry office and in a country of their choice:  the USA even. They will be just as happy if they do this and they will be able to invite whoever they want to the party afterwards.

Miss Markle probably feels that she is not marrying into a dysfunctional family but should she be made to feel that she is "marrying" into a dysfunctional country?

https://news.sky.com/story/trump-royal-wedding-snub-could-hit-post-brexit-trade-deal-11199343