Duchess of York to miss wedding

Almost 2,000 guests have been invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton
12 April 2012

The Duchess of York will not be among the 2,000 invited guests at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, her spokesman has confirmed.

The Westminster Abbey congregation is expected to feature celebrities, leading politicians, heads of state and royalty from across the world, although their names have not been released.

Around 1,900 people will watch William and Kate exchange their marriage vows on April 29, with more than half the guests drawn from the couple's family and friends, St James's Palace announced.

A spokesman for the Duchess of York confirmed she had not been invited to the wedding.

He said: "She won't be attending and she was never expecting to attend. She's going to be overseas at the time."

Asked whether she was invited, he said: "She wasn't and she never thought she would be."

He added: "She's not undertaking any commercial engagements around the wedding either."

Many royal watchers will be waiting to see if leading world figures like US President Barack Obama, singer Elton John or rapper Kanye West are among those taking their seats in the Abbey.

David Beckham's spokesman would not confirm whether the footballer and his wife, Victoria, were invited, adding it was a private matter.

The number of guests will be reduced for the lunchtime reception, where around 600 relatives, friends and dignitaries will toast the couple at Buckingham Palace.

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