Neither President Barack Obama nor First Lady Michelle Obama got royal wedding invitations in what some critics titled The Obama Royal Wedding Snub. The truth is that royal wedding invitations to the April 2011 nuptials for Kate Middleton and Prince William, the oldest son of Prince Charles, were pretty rare and that few heads of state attended.
There was no Obama Royal Wedding Snub.
In fact, not even former British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair received invitations to the Royal Wedding. Some media reports speculated that the Obamas did not receive a Royal Wedding invitation because of the high cost of security their attendance would have required.
Who Got Royal Wedding Invitations
According to the Prince of Wales, royal wedding invitations were sent only to members of the royal family and their friends; members of the Middleton family and their friends; friends of Prince William and Middleton; members of foreign royal families; and representatives from Britain's defense services, churches, Parliament, British government and the royal household.
The royal wedding was not considered a state occasion, and so Prince William and Kate Middleton were not obligated to - nor did they - issue royal wedding invitations to most heads of state.
"No other heads of state other than those from foreign royal families have been invited to the wedding," the prince's press office said in a statement.
Why No Royal Wedding Invitations for Obamas?
Of course, that didn't stop persistent and reliable critics of the Obama administration from claiming there was, in fact, an Obama Royal Wedding Snub.
"There is a little bit of controversy here," radio host Rush Limbaugh said. "The queen has invited leaders of Bahrain, Swaziland and Saudi Arabia, all of whom preside over severe human rights abuses ... but for some odd reason, the Obamas still didn't make the list."
"Why do I think the Obamas weren't invited? We can only wild-guess this," Limbaugh added, suggesting tongue in cheek that perhaps that Queen Elizabeth did not appreciate Obama's gift of an iPod during a 2009 private meeting at Buckingham Palace.
Emails Claim Obama Royal Wedding Snub
Several widely circulated emails also claimed the Obama Royal Wedding Snub was for real, and that the Obamas were furious at not being invited.
"Michelle is livid over the snub and Obama can't believe it... What is happening and what can I do about it seems to be the thoughts in Obama's head," one such email begins. "Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning a royal wedding April, 2011. Prince William personally told the wedding planners to strike the Obama's from the guest list. He stated, 'He did not want Michelle Obama trying to pull her center of attention ploy trying to upstage Kate on Kate's wedding day.'"
There is no evidence to support such wild claims.
White House Statement on Royal Wedding
The Obama White House issued a statement following the Royal Wedding. If the president and first lady were really snubbed, they certainly didn't appear to indicate any hard feelings.
"We congratulate Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on their wedding today and wish them a lifetime of happiness together," the statement read. "The United States has no closer friend in the world than the United Kingdom. On this occasion, the American people extend heartfelt congratulations to the peoples of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth and share in their hopes for a bright future for the Royal couple."
Obama Watched Royal Wedding on TV
During a press gaggle on Air Force One on the day of the Royal Wedding, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama watched on TV. " ... The president did mention that he caught a little bit of it this morning over breakfast, but obviously was busy getting ready for this trip," Carney told reporters.
Asked whether Obama had any reaction to Middleton's dress, Carney said: "I don't have a reaction to the dress. I personally thought it was lovely and we wish - all of us in the administration wish them the very best."
Celebrities Attended Royal Wedding
Perhaps giving the Obama Royal Wedding Snub myth some credibility were the large number of other famous people who attended the wedding. They included soccer star David Beckham and his wife Victoria, musician Elton John and Prime Minister David Cameron.
Published reports suggest previous presidents have been invited to such occasions, too. In fact, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan got invitations to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The president did not attend. Mrs. Reagan did.
Still, because invitations to the nuptials for Kate Middleton and Prince William were fairly exclusive, there was no evidence that the couple snubbed the Obamas.