LONDON – David Beckham, Elton John and Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson will mingle with dozens of royal guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, according to an official guest list released Saturday that includes one uncomfortable presence — the Bahraini crown prince accused of a brutal crackdown on protesters.
St. James’s Palace also released the seating plan at Westminster Abbey, which showed that relatives of William’s mother, Princess Diana, are sitting across the aisle from the royal family, joining the Middletons in an exception to the traditional division of a church into a bride’s side and groom’s side.
Additional Photos
The Spencers haven’t had a good relationship with the royal family, especially after Diana’s brother Charles Spencer attacked the royals during a speech at her 1997 funeral.
More than 46 foreign royals are seated behind the British royals. They include Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, an invitation that could prove awkward in light of his government’s rough treatment of mainly Shiite pro-democracy protesters.
Some human rights campaigners have started to petition Foreign Secretary William Hague to revoke the invitation, saying the prince should not be allowed to attend the occasion. At least 30 people have died in Bahrain since mid-February, including four who died while in official custody, and many well-known activists and lawyers have been imprisoned.
Other foreign royals who are attending include those from Denmark, Norway, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Morocco. Only a handful of celebrities are invited, including the Beckhams, director Guy Ritchie, soul singer Joss Stone, and Atkinson — a close friend of William’s father, Prince Charles.
Although about 1,900 guests have been invited, half of them will sit in a section of the abbey where views of the altar are restricted, and will have to rely upon video screens to follow the service Friday.
‘Harry Potter’ star transferring from Brown to another university in fall
LONDON – A spokeswoman for “Harry Potter” star Emma Watson said she will be transferring from Brown University to another university in the autumn.
Vanessa Davies denied reports that Watson was “bullied out” of the Rhode Island university, saying there was no truth to reports by online publications that cited classmates and “insiders.”
Davies said Saturday that Watson, 21, who plays Hermione in the wizard movie series, has decided to pursue a different course not offered at Brown.
She added that the star “has absolutely loved her time at Brown” and made many good friends there.
Watson has recently taken time out of her studies to focus on her movie career. She has said that her first days in college were difficult.
Davies did not identify the university Watson will be transferring to.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.