Royal Wedding Guest List Revealed
April 10, 2011— -- Details about the royal wedding guest list have slowly come out since the invitations were put in the mail in early February. As anticipated, many foreign dignitaries and members of Britain's aristocracy will be in attendance, but according to The Mail on Sunday, some unexpected celebrities, personal aides, friends and exes also made the cut.
As was previously reported, David and Victoria Beckham and Sir Elton John all received invitations. It has been revealed that film director Guy Ritchie, comedian Rowan Atkinson, designer of Kate's royal engagement dress Daniella Helayel, and former English rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward will also be at Westminster Abbey on April 29.
Breaking with tradition, Prince William has invited a number of his aides to the reception. Among them are two of his former nannies, his press officer, his private secretary and his personal secretary. Also invited is William's former headmaster from the Ludgrove School, the provost of Eton College, and William's housemaster at Eton.
The couple, who visited the Caribbean island of Mustique in the past, included some of the locals on the wedding guest list. The owners of the villa where the couple stayed, the island's head tennis coach, yoga teacher, doctor and the owner of Basil's Bar all received invitations, along with the owners of the villa where Kate and William previously stayed.
Among William's friends at the wedding will be a number of former Etonians, including banking heirs James and David Jardine-Paterson, polo player Ben Vestey and his wife Chloe, and Thomas van Straubenzee, who is expected to assist Prince Harry with the best man's speech, together with his younger brother Charles.
The Prince's best friends from Gloucestershire are all on the list, including all of the Duke of Northumberland's children, polo player Captain Jack Mann, Olympic gold medalist Richard Meade, and Susanna and Jake Warren, the grandchildren of the Queen's former racing manager, the Earl of Carnarvon.
From William's inner circle of friends, Guy Pelley, who helped organize the bachelor party, will attend the wedding alongside his mother, father and two brothers. As will millionaire Arthur Landon and his mother Katalina.
The couple's friends from St Salvator's residence hall at St Andrews have been asked to the evening reception. They include Virginia Fraser, neighbor of the couple while at St Andrews, and former roommates Olivia Bleasdale, Oli Baker and Fergus Boyd. The Prince and Miss Middleton have also invited Sir Henry Cheape, who owns the Strathtyrum Estate in St Andrews where the couple shared a farmhouse.
It appears as if both Kate and William have invited their exes to the royal wedding. Rupert Finch, whom Kate dated briefly at St Andrews and her rumored high school boyfriend, Willem Marx will attend, along with all of William's former flames: Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, Jecca Craig, Arabella Musgrave, Olivia Hunt and Davina Duckworth-Chad.
Kate's sister, Pippa will bring her boyfriend of one year, Alex Loudon, while her brother will go to the wedding solo.
Prince Harry has not revealed if he will have a date to the wedding, but The Mail on Sunday confirmed that his on-and-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy has been invited to the wedding and the evening reception.