We’re just two weeks away from Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.
(The occasion will be a sad one for Grover Cleveland enthusiasts, as the two-time White House resident will lose his status as the only president ever to serve non-consecutive terms.)
Now, we probably don’t need to tell you that Trump has a flair for showmanship and tends to feel a bit competitive toward prior presidents.
So it should come as no surprise that the former reality show host is taking steps to make his inauguration the most memorable (and, yes, the hugest) of all time.
According to a recent report from CNN, one way that Trump intends to set the occasion apart from previous inaugurations is by inviting a slew of foreign leaders and dignitaries to his swearing-in.
The outlet reports that Trump’s team was quick to invite Chinese President Xi Jinping, though it’s still unclear if he’ll attend the ceremony.
And now, Fox News is reporting that the leader of the world’s most populous nation might be joined by some very famous representatives of our nation’s closest allies.
Writing for the outlet, royal expert Neil Sean says insiders tell him that “both William and Catherine, along with the King and Queen, have all been invited to Trump’s inauguration on January 20 in Washington, D.C.”
William met with Trump last month when both were in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The two spoke at length, and Trump later sang the future king’s praises.
So it’s easy to believe Sean’s claim that the royals have been invited to the inauguration. But will they attend?
The “special relationship” between the US and UK is of paramount importance to both countries, and refusing the invitation could be viewed as an insulting snub.
But Trump’s history with the royals is long and complicated, and Charles and company may well decide that their best move would be to steer clear of the ceremony.
Before he was re-elected, Trump hinted at plans to deport Prince Harry in response to revelations of drug use in his 2023 memoir.
And Trump’s son Eric Trump has made disparaging remarks about Harry and wife Meghan Markle as recently as October of 2024.
Obviously, the royals are not on the best of terms with Harry and Meghan at the moment. But William probably still feels greater loyalty to his brother than to an American politician whom he just conversed with for the first time a few weeks ago.
And the royals are surely aware that their attendance at the inauguration would be viewed as an endorsement of Trump — which would make it a violation of the family’s long-standing tendency toward neutrality in matters of foreign politics.
In short, if we had to guess, we would say the royals will not be on hand for the inauguration — but then again, 2025 has already surprised us numerous times, and we’re not even a week in!
