A Guest List Light on World Leaders
Royal watchers were left scratching their heads when it emerged that Barack and Michelle Obama had been left off the royal wedding guest list. Because William is second-in-line to the throne behind his father, the wedding doesn't count as an official state occasion, relieving all pressure for the young couple to fill Westminster Abbey with foreign heads of state (Charles and Diana, on the other hand, had to invite Ronald and Nancy Reagan, along with first couples the world over). So Wills and Kate have opted to go easy on the VIPs, inviting 1,900 of their closest friends and family, and a handful of charity workers, ordinary citizens and celebrities who have had an impact on their lives. David and Victoria Beckham made the cut thanks to David's work with William on the English Football Association, and Elton John bagged a seat in honor of his close relationship with William's late mother.