Problem: what to do when you want to invite your new bestie to your wedding and leave a jerk out of the whole event?
Doesn’t sound complicated, does it?
But if you happen to be Prince Harry and it’s the Obamas you want to invite to your royal wedding and politics between Donald Trump and the UK are a testy topic…?
Harry and fiancée Meghan Markle find themselves in a bind wanting to invite the Obamas to their big day on May 19, but Trump could throw a temper tantrum if snubbed.
Britain’s relations with Trump’s White House have sunk to their lowest ebb since his election last year.
The property billionaire does not hide his loathing of Mr. Obama and is expected to be enraged if his predecessor gets the coveted call-up when he won’t.
The young Royal couple’s dislike of the new president is well known.
Meghan made disparaging comments about him on social media during his election campaign last year.
There are deep fears among senior Foreign Office and No10 officials that another perceived national snub will make it impossible for Theresa May to meaningfully engage with Trump.
A senior government source said: “Harry has made it clear he wants the Obamas at the wedding, so it’s causing a lot of nervousness.
“Trump could react very badly if the Obamas get to a Royal wedding before he has had a chance to meet the Queen.”
Earlier this week, Prince Harry became the first royal to accept an award from a gay magazine.
At the Attitude Awards, Harry showed up to accept a posthumous Attitude Legacy Award on behalf of his deceased mother, Princess Diana, Princess of Wales.
Following in his mother’s footsteps, the Prince has actively campaigned on HIV/AIDS issues, while also praising the “amazing” work of a transgender children’s charity.
Many in the gay community held a special affinity with the Princess, in part due to her work during the AIDS crisis.
During the AIDS crisis Princess Diana made many visits both officially and unofficially – and famously shook hands with a patient at the height of HIV stigma.
The charity named in her honour, The Diana Award, also works to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.
The Prince has adopted HIV as one of his key campaigning issues, visiting a number of HIV clinics, attending the International AIDS Conference in South Africa, and speaking about his late mother’s work on the issue.
Last year the Prince made headlines by taking a HIV test himself in a Facebook Live video earlier this month, in an appeal for more people to get tested.
The Prince said of his mother: “She started very punchy [on AIDS].
“She smashed the stigma around HIV on more than one occasion. It had a huge impact, and a huge impact on my life as well.”
Prince Harry added: “I don’t consciously channel myself down certain avenues specifically because I think my mum would be proud. But she sure as hell would be proud of me, hopefully, that I’m doing it.”
He explained: “If you’re not going to get tested for yourself and you’re not going to go and get tested for your loved ones that you could possibly infect, then… I don’t know if it’s a selfish thing to say or not, but if you respect what my mother stood for, go and get tested for her.
“It’s 20 years next year since she died, and 30 years ago she was in this hospital [HIV clinic Mildmay] and she did something that no-one else had ever done before.
“If she were still here today, she would probably get tested every month, just to prove a point.”
The annual Attitude Awards are dedicated to honoring those who inspire, advance change, make LGBT lives better, influence and entertain. For the sixth year, funds raised at the event benefited the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Lots of big celebrities turned out for the event including Kylie Minogue, Nyle DiMarco, Laverne Cox, Sam Smith, Tom Daley, Harry Judd, Mel C and many more.
Watch Prince Harry’s acceptance speech at the Attitude Awards below.
• Fashion designer Andrew Makay celebrates 20 years of success with his N2N Bodywear. The homegrown LGBT owned company grew from a corner in his bedroom to grossing millions each year in sexy, “next-to-nothing” swim, gym and fitness wear.
• According to Politico, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump were instrumental in convincing the president to not repeal President Obama’s 2014 executive order on LGBT protections.
• Nordstrom Department store says “you’re fired” to Ivanka Trump’s fashion line due to poor sales. Only three shoe designs and one dress (marked down 40%) remain on the department store’s website.
• U.S. military officials say President Trump approved his first covert counterterrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations. Although White House spokesman Sean Spicer called the mission a success, one Navy Seal lost his life as well as at least 15 women and children. Strange definition of ‘success.’
• House Republicans have introduced legislation that would allow churches and religious organizations to keep tax-exempt status AND participate in partisan political activities. Remember that ‘separation of church and state thing…?
• German news magazine Der Spiegel’s latest cover (below). According to the artist, the comparison of Trump to ISIS was deliberate: “Both sides are extremists.”
• More than 50 Electoral College voters were sat illegally which could delay ratifying Donald Trump’s election results.
• Just a day after Megyn Kelly announced her move to NBC News, former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren shares that she is heading to MSNBC to head up a new 6PM show, For The Record with Greta Van Susteren.
• Did you hear the one about a douche math teacher who came up with a homophobic math question?
• North Carolina’s Gov. Pat McCrory shows his nerves as he attempts to negotiate the repeal of anti-LGBT law, HB2 – but only if the city of Charlotte will first repeal their LBGT protections ordinance. #FatChance
• First look at the upcoming film, Tom of Finland, documenting the life and work of Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, best known for works depicting hyper-masculine archetypes such as lumberjacks, motorcycle policemen, sailors, bikers, and leathermen.
Handsome Prince Harry, in an effort to raise awareness about knowing your HIV status, took an HIV test via livestream which was shown on the British royal family’s Facebook page.
With over 100,000 people living in with HIV in the UK, the 31 year old ginger has made raising awareness about HIV status a focus of his public work.
“It is amazing how quick it is,” the 31-year-old Harry said during his appointment at a London hospital. The famously red-headed royal added: “So whether you’re a man, woman, gay, straight, black or white — even ginger — why wouldn’t you come an have a test?”
The video hearkened back to groundbreaking images of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, reaching out to people with HIV in the 1980s. Diana’s gestures — including a photograph of her shaking hands with an HIV-positive man and hugging children with AIDS — went a long way toward removing the stigma around it.
Prince Harry and Coldplay at Sentebale Concert for raising awareness for HIV/AIDS
Prince Harry spoke last night at the Sentebale concert at Kensington Palace imploring young people to “please take a little bit of time to learn about the fight against HIV.”
Handsome Harry also joined super rock band Coldplay for “Up & Up” during the concert.
