The Most Controversial Royal Wedding Guests

The following article includes references to sexual assault and child abuse.

Royal weddings are always a momentous occasion in the U.K. There's nothing quite like the pomp and pageantry of regal nuptials, replete with the fashion faux pas that inevitably blight such proceedings. Admittedly, much has changed since the austere days of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's much-publicized 1947 wedding. In contrast to the prim and proper proceedings of Liz's special day, Prince William and Princess Catherine's 2011 wedding, for instance, boasted a guest list that encapsulated the crème de la crème of Britain's elite. Everyone from Posh and Becks to Princess Diana's BFF, Sir Elton John, graced Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to the future king and his bride.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials seven years later further exemplified how times have changed since the solemn 1940s iteration of the royal wedding. Indeed, these ceremonies have long been criticized for not being representative of modern-day, multicultural Britain. As such, critics argued that Harry and Meghan's big day was a much-needed celebration of diversity, an antidote to the white-centric royal weddings of yesteryear.

But as enjoyable as royal weddings may be to watch from the comfort of our couches, popcorn and party poppers in hand, the aforementioned pageantry sometimes masks something more sinister lurking beneath that glossy TV coverage. Throughout the years, numerous controversial individuals have been invited to the ceremonies — from despots to smugglers.

The brother of Princess Alice of Battenberg and uncle of Prince Philip, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Earl of Burma, was not a welcome addition to Philip and Elizabeth's wedding day. According to the book "Prince Philip Revealed," Louis had plotted to set his nephew up with the then Princess Elizabeth so that the Mountbatten name would gain prominence and notoriety within the royal family. Accordingly, he contacted the British press and heavily promoted his nephew's engagement.

However, Philip felt uncomfortable with his uncle's constant interference in his relationship with Elizabeth. Though the earl's plan was successful, with Louis attending the couple's 1947 wedding, Philip warned his uncle to leave Elizabeth alone. "I am not being rude but it is apparent that you like the idea of being General Manager of this little show," Philip reportedly told Louis, "and I am rather afraid that she [Princess Elizabeth] might not take to the idea quite as docile as I do."

Louis' devious plot to further the Mountbatten name is reflective of his allegedly nefarious nature. There have long been claims that he was a pedophile who abused boys procured from Kincora Boys' Home in Belfast. "You don't forget who abused you. Trust me. You block it out but you don't forget," one of his survivors, Arthur Smyth, told the Belfast Telegraph. As of this writing, Smyth is pursuing legal action against the children's home for allegedly permitting the earl's abuse.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

The lady's not for turning? Well, Margaret Thatcher's appearance at Charles and Diana's wedding was certainly enough to turn heads. Though prime ministers typically do attend royal weddings, Thatcher may be seen as a controversial addition to the 1981 ceremony, largely due to allegations that she didn't get along with the royals.

In 1986, Buckingham Palace insiders told The Times that Queen Elizabeth opposed the prime minister's policies, regarding them as "often ... uncaring, confrontational and socially divisive." When asked about the alleged feud between her and Queen Elizabeth, Thatcher merely repeated the mantra, "I intend to follow the well-established policy of my predecessors and not answer questions directly or indirectly about the monarch."

It wasn't just Elizabeth who allegedly had beef with the Iron Lady. According to the book "Charles — The Man Who Will Be King," the then Prince of Wales invited Thatcher to Kensington Palace in hopes they could discuss his latest outreach program. But Thatcher repeatedly declined the invite. "She believed that this would obviously provide her opponents with the valuable point that the Prince of Wales, although supposed to be politically neutral, was in fact opposed to Thatcher and her uncaring policies," wrote author Howard Hodgson. Similarly, she allegedly harbored animosity towards Princess Diana, whom she reportedly branded "a self-obsessed fashion model who was only concerned about her own media image."

When Mario Testino took Prince William and Princess Catherine's iconic engagement photos in 2010, few could have predicted the scandal that would engulf the acclaimed photographer just a few years later. Testino once counted the royal pair among his friends, having also attended their wedding in 2011. But in the wake of the MeToo movement, his reputation would be tarnished. 

In a 2018 New York Times exposé, the photographer was accused of sexual harassment and assault by 13 men, many of whom were models who posed for him. The allegations, which spanned almost three decades, include coercive behavior, groping, and aggressive advances. "Sexual harassment was a constant reality," Roman Barrett, Testino's former assistant, told the outlet. "He misbehaved in hotel rooms, the backs of cars and on first-class flights. Then things would go back to normal, and that made you feel gaslighted." Another colleague, Thomas Hargreave, accused the photographer of making light of his problematic behavior, allegedly treating molestation as a joke. "But it wasn't funny," Hargreave reflected. "And the guys being placed in these situations wouldn't know how to react. They would look at me, like, 'What's going on? How do I deal with this?' It was terrible." 

Testino has denied all of the allegations. Although his alleged problematic behavior was not public knowledge at the time of William and Catherine's wedding, his presence at such a prominent ceremony certainly raises eyebrows in hindsight.

It seems that the 2011 royal wedding had no shortage of problematic guests. Another controversial attendee was banking tycoon Joe Allbritton. His invite came courtesy of King Charles III, who, along with his mother, was a friend of the contentious banker. That was one RSVP that led to outrage, namely due to Allbritton's dodgy deals and close association with Augusto Pinochet.

As head of Riggs Bank, Allbritton was a confidant of the Chilean dictator, whom he both praised and allegedly aided in storing dirty money. "We attach great importance to our relationship with you and the Chilean Military and look forward to expanding our cooperation in the future," he enthused in a letter to the dictator, as reported by The New Republic. What makes this alleged shadiness all the more eye-popping is the fact that Charles accepted a £190,000 (around $235,000) donation from Allbritton. Considering his sketchy business dealings, the source of those funds is dubious at best.

Though Allbritton denied hoarding Pinochet's money, a senate hearing found that he engaged in suspicious activity. "Million-dollar cash deposits, offshore shell corporations, suspicious wire transfers, alterations of account names — all the classic signs of money laundering and foreign corruption made their appearance at Riggs Bank," Senator Carl Levin declared at the hearing, according to The Washington Post. Subsequently, he was fined $25 million and $16 million in 2004 and 2005, respectively, with a judge branding Riggs "a greedy corporate henchman of dictators and their corrupt regimes."

Her ex-husband may be the royal pariah now, but it was once Sarah Ferguson who was the black sheep of The Firm. Fergie's various controversies throughout the years — including being snapped having her toes sucked by her lover and admitting to accepting a loan from Jeffrey Epstein — have contributed to her less-than-favorable public image. As such, she hasn't exactly been a welcome guest at the royal weddings of yore (she wasn't invited to Wills and Kate's wedding in 2011). But ever the rebel prince, Harry added Ferguson to his and Meghan Markle's wedding guest list.

Such a bold decision was not without controversy, of course. King Charles was reportedly adamant that he did not want Fergie at the ceremony. "With every wedding there is an issue over who to invite, and this time it's very much been the 'awkward aunt' problem," an insider alleged to the Daily Mail. "It has thrown up a massive headache for the two palaces." But Harry fought back. "He absolutely, 100 per cent wants her there and has told palace officials that in no uncertain terms," the source added.

Since then, Fergie has defended Harry and Meghan amid the monumental public backlash they have faced. "I have been judged all my life, and I have no judgment on the Sussexes," she told People regarding the couple's decision to relocate to North America.

Unlike some of the other controversial guests on this rundown, Richard Liu was accused of sexual assault prior to being invited to a royal wedding. Prince Andrew invited tech billionaire Liu to his daughter Eugenie's 2018 wedding less than two months after he was accused of raping a young woman. He denies any wrongdoing.

The invite led to outrage from those in his native China. "I'd like to know why the royal family let them into the wedding. He has a case against him," lamented a Douban social media user wrote, as shared by The Independent. Liu, who is twice the age of his alleged victim, was accused of forcibly intoxicating and then assaulting Liu Jingyao during a visit to the University of Minnesota in 2018, though there was insufficient evidence for a criminal trial, according to CNN. Accordingly, she sued him the following year, and the case was settled out of court in 2022.

In what was hailed as a pivotal moment for China's MeToo movement — Jingyao was commended for demanding accountability from allegedly predatory businessmen. "In these four years, she fought for feminists to give the biggest (platform) to discuss what is rape culture and what is power sexual assault," declared MeToo campaigner Zhou Xiaoxuan. "Jingyao's resistance four years ago was an extremely rare show of courage — it is not uncommon for business bosses to prey on young girls, but she is the first person to stand up."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

A father walking his daughter down the aisle wouldn't usually be cause for contention, but most gals don't have Prince Andrew for a dad. Unfortunately for Princess Beatrice, the announcement of her nuptials coincided with increasing public condemnation of her father. 

In September 2019, Beatrice became engaged to property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Just two months after the announcement, Andrew was stripped of royal duties. The decision came in the wake of his infamous BBC Newsnight interview, in which he denied abusing Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre because, as he said, he is incapable of sweating and was at a Pizza Express restaurant on the night in question.

Subsequently, there was speculation as to whether Andrew would even be permitted to attend his daughter's wedding. "Beatrice's wedding will be collateral damage," tweeted royal writer Marlene Koenig. "I will not be surprised if she has a rather quiet wedding, out of the public eye, with a few photos, no live coverage. This will be better than an announcement that they have decided to postpone marriage." Eventually, Beatrice and Mozzi tied the knot in the summer of 2020, and Andrew walked his daughter down the aisle despite immense public backlash. However, likely in response to the controversy, he was not in any of the official wedding photos. "It's a sign of how far Prince Andrew has fallen," royal expert Dickie Arbiter told The Mirror.