1900

1900 is an important number. It is the number of invitations being handed out for Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.And the wedding list is quirking a few eyebrows. Not least across the pond. The list of those included does on occasion raise an eyebrow, as well as who was NOT.

Included are the likes of the Sultan of Bunei, the Crown Prince of Bahrain (who has backed out), and various other royals. Such as the King of Tonga, and the Crown Prince of Japan (he has also backed out because of the earthquake). Also, the King and Queen of Norway, and other royal families. Many Kings and Queens, as well as Crown Prince and Princesses.

We also have many other Prime Ministers and heads of territories from round the world. There is also the Cabinet of the British Government, and devolved governments within the UK. Many of these Ministers come from nations that have the Queen as their head of state, such as Australia and New Zealand. The others are leaders of British overseas dependencies.

However, off the list are many names that could be a surprise. First of all, the previous 2 Prime Ministers are not invited. Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown have not been given invites, whilst the PM's before them, have been. John Major, and Margaret Thatcher. Many people say it is a snub.

It is. Maybe. But it is also Royal Protocol. Even though it is not a full state occasion, William is still directly in line to the throne, and Royal protocol is important. Gordon Brown is no longer Prime Minister, and is only a sitting MP. Tony Blair is not even part of the British Parliamentary system any more. Since this is a "private" wedding, former PM's do not have to be invited. However, Mrs Thatcher, and Mr Major get their invitations through the fact that they are both Knights of the Garter. 

It is Britain's oldest honour, and to which, only a very limited number of people can be admitted. And it is through this that they got their invites. Along with the other Knights of the Garter.

Also not invited is the US President. Barack Obama. And to many in America, this is an outrage. After all, the US is Britain's most important ally. And the most powerful nation on earth. If anyone gets an invite, its him. After all, Sarkozy as the French President got one. 

Thing is, France is our neighbour, the US is a long way away. France is our gateway to Europe, which is where we do most of our trade. The US is a long way away. Also, some of the invited dignitaries have been described as "dictators." This is true. But they are members of Royal families. Not "commoners" which means that Royal protocol dictates they get an invite. Now, the invite goes to the heads of state, but quite often it gets passed down to the next in line.

That follows William's status in the line to the British throne. Many of those coming from various Royal families are Crown Prince and Princesses. For example, the Emperor of Japan was invited, but the invitation was taken up by the Crown Prince. He is next in line to the throne in Japan, and was educated in Oxford, so he has strong links to the UK (However, he has since pulled out because of the earthquake). 

Obama does not get an invite because he is a "commoner" (not Royal lineage), and I am afraid the US does not rank high enough to force its way on to the wedding list. I know it sounds tough, but the EU is more important day to day to the UK than the US. But dont worry Americans! China, as the second biggest economy, and major trading parter with the UK and EU, well, they dont get an invite either. Japan as the third biggest economy does not get an invite, that went to the Japanese Royal Family. 

The rest of the people invited are those who have played a role in British life. Such as as David Beckham, and Guy Ritchie, and Joss Stone. Unfortunately, Obama has not had the same impact in British life as the Beckham's. He also probably did not endear himself with the British establishment after giving Brown a box set of DVD's after being given a pen case made from the timbers of one of Britain's anti-slavery ships. A very exclusive gift, made to order, and all that! To make it worse, the DVD's where region 1. Which means they dont work in the UK! You would have thought that someone in his staff would have thought about it!

There has been a lot of controversy over the list of invitees. Some people are on because of Royal protocol that are less than cuddly leaders of their home nations. Others are on due to links to the family, or friendship with the to-be-married couple. 

It does promise to be quite a shindig!