We are just two weeks away from Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.
(The occasion will be sad for Grover Cleveland enthusiasts, as the two-time White House resident will lose his status as the only president to serve non-consecutive terms.)
Now, we probably don’t need to tell you that Trump has showmanship and tends to feel a little competitive with past presidents.
So it should come as no surprise that the former Actuality Exhibits host is taking steps to make his inauguration the most memorable (and, yes, the biggest) of all time.
According to a recent report by cnnOne way Trump intends to differentiate the occasion from previous inaugurations is by inviting a host of foreign leaders and dignitaries to his swearing-in.
The outlet reports that Trump’s team was quick to invite Chinese President Xi Jinping, although it is still unclear whether he will attend the ceremony.
And now, fox news reports that the leader of the world’s most populous nation could be joined by some very famous representatives of our nation’s closest allies.
Writing for the outlet, current insider Neil Sean says insiders tell him that “both William and Catherine, along with the King and Queen, have been invited to Trump’s inauguration on January 20 in Washington, D.C. ”.
William met Trump last month when they were both in Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
The two spoke at length and Trump then sang the praises of the future king.
So it’s easy to believe Sean’s claim that royalty has been invited to the inauguration. But will they attend?
The “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom is of utmost importance to both countries, and declining the invitation could be seen as an insulting snub.
But Trump’s history with the royals is long and complicated, and Charles and company could well decide it would be best to stay away from the ceremony.
Before being re-elected, Trump hinted at plans to deport Prince Harry in response to revelations about drug use in his 2023 memoir.
And Trump’s son, Eric Trump, made disparaging comments about Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in October 2024.
Obviously, the royals are not getting along with Harry and Meghan at the moment. But William probably still feels greater loyalty to his brother than to an American politician he spoke to for the first time a few weeks ago.
And the current family is surely aware that their attendance at the inauguration would be seen as an endorsement of Trump, which would constitute a violation of the family’s long-standing tendency toward neutrality in foreign policy matters.
In short, if we had to guess, we would say that royalty No I will be present for the inauguration, but of course, 2025 has already surprised us on numerous occasions, and we haven’t even been there a week!