No thank you: King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia has turned down his invitation to the Royal Wedding in favour of another 'important' engagementIt may be one of history's most sought after invitations but the King of Cambodia will not attend the Royal Wedding because he has something more 'important' to do.
In an apparent snub to Prince William and his fiancée Kate Middleton, King Norodom Sihamoni turned down his invitation from the Palace for another engagement.
The Cambodian embassy was today unable to expand on the reason for the 57-year-old's refusal but sources said the King was 'sad' he could not attend the celebrations.
'The King can not come to the Royal Wedding because he has a very tight schedule,' a spokesman said.
'He has another important engagement.'
The shaven-headed former ballet dancer and instructor has been described in the past as 'very much an unknown quantity' but he is not the first Cambodian king to snub a British royal wedding.
His father Sihanouk refused to attend Princess Alexandra's wedding in 1963 after being told he would not get a guard of honour and could not stay at Windsor Castle.
King Sihamoni, who was best known for his work as a cultural ambassador in Europe before ascending the throne in 2004, was among dozens of royals worldwide to have been invited to the historic event.
He is understood to be spending April 29 in his home country.
The news came as it emerged Prince William's future bride would follow in the footsteps of Princess Diana by omitting the word 'obey' from her wedding vows.
She will instead promise to 'love, comfort, honour and keep' Prince William.
Diana pledged herself to Prince Charles in a similar way during their wedding ceremony in 1981.
The couple now have exactly one week left before their marriage.
Second-in-line to the throne William, 28, has already had his last shift as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot before the ceremony. He is expected to spend the latter part of next week in London, taking part in wedding rehearsals.
Meanwhile, Miss Middleton, 29, has been spotted doing some pre-wedding shopping in the capital, amid speculation that she has been stocking up on summer outfits for her honeymoon.
Snubbed: Prince William and Kate Middleton have invited dozens of royals from around the world to their nuptials but the King of Cambodia will not be thereThough the official wedding guest list has been kept tightly under wraps, a palace spokesman today suggested it would release the list of invitees at some point this weekend.
The couple are said to have invited 388 close friends and associates to join them next Friday, while 254 relatives and friends of the Middleton family will also be present.
THE GUEST LIST:
CELEBRITY PALS
David and Victoria Beckham, film director Guy Ritchie – who is Kate's sixth cousin once removed-, former English rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward and his wife Lady Woodward, comedian Rowan Atkinson
THE MIDDLETON CLAN
More than 15 members of the Middleton family are invited, along with distant cousins and friends from around the world.
Kate's uncle, multi-millionaire entrepreneur Gary Goldsmith, who shamed the family when he was filmed chopping cocaine and boasting of his Royal connections, his ex-wife Luan Goldsmith and their ten-year-old daughter Tallulah; Kate's sister and maid of honour Pippa and her boyfriend of one year, city trader Alex Loudon; James Middleton, Kate’s brother; other relatives Matita Glassborow, Jean Harrison, Stephen Lupton, David Middleton, Elizabeth Middleton, Timothy Middleton, John Middleton, Richard Middleton, Simon Middleton, Nicholas Middleton, Adam Middleton and Lucy Middleton; John Madejski, chairman of Reading FC; Tory MP Richard Benyon and his wife Zoe; Swiss-based, British-born investment banker Alexander Hood, 4th Viscount Bridport; designer Philippa Naylor; Newbury-based horse trainer Hugh Morrison and his wife Mary; artist and close family friend Gemma Billington and her husband Tim; Party Pieces photographer Millie Pilkington and her husband Edward; Landowners William Hartley Russell and his wife Marina.
Maid of Honour: Kate's sister Pippa, pictured attending Richard Branson's daughter Holly's engagement party last night, will be beside her sisterMUSTIQUE SET
Roger Pritchard and Brian Alexander; managing directors of The Mustique Company; John and Belle Robinson; Jeanette Cadet who fronts the villa rentals office; Richard Schaffer; island's head tennis coach; Gregory Allen, the island's yoga teacher; Michael Bunbury the local doctor and his wife; Basil Charles, the owner of Basil's Bar.
THE EXES
Kate’s ex-boyfriends Rupert Finch; Willem Marx and William’s former flames Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe; Arabella Musgrave; Rose Farquhar and Jecca Craig with her boyfriend Captain Philip Kaye, parents Ian and Jane, and brother Batian with his wife Melissa.
THE GLOSSE POSSE
Gloucestershire friend Amanda Bush; Lady Catherine Percy, the daughter of the Duke of Northumberland and her husband Patrick Valentine; the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland's other children, Lady Melissa Percy, George Percy (Earl Percy) and Lord Max Percy; Captain Jack Mann, son of mercenary Simon Mann; Harry Aubrey Fletcher and his new wife Louise and Harry's parents Sir Henry and Lady Aubrey-Fletcher; William's friends Tom and Victoria Inskip; Susanna and Jake Warren, grandchildren of the Queen's former racing manager, the Earl of Carnarvon; Showjumper Harry Meade and his wife Rosie, along with his brother James, sister Lucy and parents; Olympic gold medallist Richard Meade and his wife Angela; William's best friend Guy Pelly and his parents Mr and Mrs John Pelly; Etonian Thomas van Straubenzee; Emily Gerard Leigh, one of William's friends from Wiltshire; entrepreneur Jamie Murray Wells, along with his parents Simon and Angela; Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, daughter of the Marquess of Reading; polo-playing brothers Luke and Mark Tomlinson. Mark’s girlfriend Laura Bechtolsheimer; Prince William's close friend Arthur Landon and his mother Katalina; the Earl of Home David Douglas-Home, the chairman of private bank Coutts, and his wife Jane, along with their daughters Lady Mary and Lady Iona. Lady Iona’s husband James Thomas Wingfield Hewitt; Lord and Lady Tollemache's sons Edward and James, a childhood friend of William's, along with Edward's wife Sophie.
On the guest list: Holly Branson and Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe are both expected to join the throngs at the wedding on April 29TEAM WILLIAM
Press officer Miguel Head; private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and his wife Susannah and son Billy; personal secretary Helen Asprey and her partner Nigel Hawkins; former nanny Tiggy Pettifer, her husband Charles and their sons Frederick and Tom; former headmaster from Ludgrove School, Gerald Barber, and his wife, former housemaster at Eton, Dr Andrew Gailey, and his wife; Mark Dyer, the Prince of Wales' former equerry and his wife; Robert Cudmore, William's former polo instructor; early childhood nanny Barbara Barnes; the provost of Eton and Charles's teacher at Gordonstoun, Sir Eric Anderson and his wife Lady Anderson.
KATE'S MATES
Photographer Alistair Morrison; Sarah Dawson, the director of the Starlight Children's Foundation; Marlborough friend Alicia Fox-Pitt, Meghann Gunderman – who is coming over from the States –; her favourite designer Daniella Helayel, director of Issa, and Katie Readman, who also works for the label; jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, and his fiancee Annabel Ballin and Sam's parents Robert and Felicity; rower Oliver Hicks and his parents, Mr and Mrs Charles Hicks. Lady Laura Marsham, daughter of Julian Marsham, the 8th Earl of Romley, and her brother Michael; St Andrew's and prep school friend Emily Bevan.
THE SALLIES CREW
The couple's coterie of friends from St Salvator's ('Sallies') hall of residence at St Andrews have been invited to the evening reception. These include Bryony Daniels; Alasdair Coutts-Wood; Virginia Fraser, daughter of Lord Strathalmond and a neighbour of the couple in St Andrews; their former flatmates Olivia Bleasdale, Oli Baker and Fergus Boyd, and Oli's and Fergus' wives Mel and Sandrine; friend Oliver Chadwyck-Healey; Sir Henry Cheape, who owns the Strathtyrum Estate in St Andrews where the couple shared a farmhouse; Alice Warrender, a clothes-designer; Captain Mark Hayhurst, William's pal from Sandhurst, and his fiancee Liz Sebag-Montefiore, who studied History of Art with Kate.
ETON PALS
Graham Booth, Charles Gilkes and his brother Alexander; Edward Innes-Ker, son of the 10th Duke of Roxburghe; banking heirs James and David Jardine-Paterson; Mark Vestey's polo-playing son Ben and his wife Chloe and sister Tamara; Thomas van Straubenzee and his younger brother Charles, parents Alexander and Claire; distant cousin William van Straubenzee.
THE BOUJIS BUNCH
Princess Beatrice's long-term boyfriend Dave; Verity Evetts, singer James Blunt's ex-girlfriend; Charlie Savory, heir to Thorpland Hall, and his wife Lucy; Holly Branson, daughter of Virgin boss Sir Richard; Charles Morshead, who accompanied Kate to Mahiki nightclub when she split from William in 2007; Andrew Charlton and fiancee Edwina Palmer, daughter of Lord Palmer of the biscuit-making family, TV presenter Ben Fogle and his wife Marina, and friend Bear Maclean.
source:dailymail