Bahrain crown prince declines royal wedding invitations

The continued unrest in Bahrain has prompted Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa of Orange&Yellow Wedding Invites to turn down the Royal Wedding invitations sent by the Royal family.


The crown prince made the announcement that he had to decline the Royal wedding invitation due to the ongoing conflict in his country clarifying what he calls ‘misrepresentation’ of the actual reasons of his absence at the much-anticipated wedding.


According to the Agence France Presse, a statement from the Bahrain’s crown prince indicated his "regrets" to miss the wedding and expressed hopes that the "situation [in Bahrain] improves before the wedding".


The Prince clarified in a statement from his Manama office that he "clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain."


Earlier reports have it that the Crown Prince decided to reject the invitation "to avoid embarrassment after a bloody crackdown on mainly Shiite Muslim protesters in Sunni-ruled Bahrain" leaving 24 people dead, according Agence France Presse.


The crown prince’s invitation has earlier put the Royal couple in a bad light after being criticized for inviting leaders from countries like Bahrain where protests have escalated in the last few weeks.


The office of Prince William confirmed al-Khalifa’s announcement.


"We were informed this morning that the crown prince of Bahrain would not attend the wedding, and that the Kingdom of Bahrain would not send anyone in the crown prince's place," the Agence France Presse quoted Prince William’s press secretary in a statement.


The statement from the Prince’s office noted, "The decision was theirs to make, and is theirs to explain."


It added: "With regard the initial invitation, we followed long-standing protocol in inviting the crowned heads of the world, and we have sought Foreign Office advice."


The Buckingham Palace released a list of confirmed guests Saturday which included celebrities and other political and church leaders.





Prince William and Kate ¬Middleton are paying a heartfelt tribute to Britain’s war heroes by giving veterans and bereaved families pride of place at their wedding.


The Royal couple have sent coveted invitations to the Westminster Abbey ceremony to servicemen including L Cpl Martyn Compton, a friend of the prince who served alongside him in the Household Cavalry at Windsor.


Martyn, 27, was so badly burned in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan in 2006 that he "died" three times and lost his ears and nose. He was in a coma for three months.


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Now Kate and William have ¬invited Martyn – who Wills knows by his nickname Compo – to share their big day, alongside 1,900 celebrities, sportsmen, fellow royals and overseas dignitaries.


There is also an invitation for Holly Dyer, 30, the sister of 2nd Lt Joanna Dyer who was killed by a bomb in Iraq in 2007.


Joanna was a close friend of William, 28, at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, Berkshire. The Prince was "absolutely devastated" by his friend’s death.


Susie Roberts, widow of William’s platoon commander at Sandhurst Major Alexis Roberts, will also be there. Father-of-two Maj Roberts, known as Lex, was killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan in 2007. A friend and mentor to William during his training, the prince remembers him with "great fondness and respect".


Susie’s mother Carol Deans told the Sunday Mirror: "Susie feels so proud to be going to the wedding. She knows that Lex would be very proud too as he had a real bond with William."


William, who attended Major Roberts’ funeral, has stayed in touch with Susie. Carol said: "Susie has been close to ¬William over the past few years and that has been reflected in her spring wedding invitations."