No kiss at altar for Prince William, Kate Middleton

LONDON

The prince and Kate Middleton will not even share a peck during their ceremony on Friday.

That's because the Church of England expressly forbids such behavior in holy sites like Westminster Abbey.

When Princess Diana and Prince Charles got married, they also waited until their balcony appearance to share a kiss.

Meantime, the official guest list for the royal nuptials was released Saturday. The list consisted of celebrities and royal dignitaries, including Bahrain's Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Prince Salman on Sunday declined the invite, saying he did not want the Gulf nation's unrest to tarnish the celebration.

He sent his regrets to Prince Charles after questions emerged over the British monarchy's decision to invite a member of Bahrain's Sunni ruling family, which has waged a wide-ranging crackdown against Shiite protesters calling for more freedoms.

The news helped to avoid a potentially awkward situation during the April 29 wedding. Campaigners in Britain complained when palace officials said Saturday that the prince was attending the nuptials, and some petitioned Foreign Secretary William Hague to revoke the invitation.

Prince Salman said he was "saddened and troubled" by British reports about his attendance.

"While these (media reports) have certainly highlighted a number of significant issues currently facing the Kingdom of Bahrain, they have fundamentally misrepresented my own views, outlook and position on recent events and thus, clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain."

About 1,900 people were invited to the April 29 Westminster Abbey ceremony.

ABC7 anchors David Ono and Michelle Tuzee are traveling to London for the royal wedding. Look for their live reports beginning next week on Eyewitness News.

"Good Morning America" will have special royal wedding coverage this Friday beginning at 1 a.m. PT. The actual wedding ceremony is set to take place 3 a.m. PT.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.