IOC Royals on Guest List for William & Kate Nuptials

(ATR) IOC members from European royal families are among those who are attending the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Cathedral.

Four currentIOC members will be seated in the cathedral for the service with 1900 invited guests.

The Princess Royal, Great Britain’s senior IOC member, is the aunt of William.

Prince Albert of Monaco, the most senior IOC member in the group, will be attending with his fiancée, South African Olympian Charlene Wittstock. The couple will have their own fairy tale wedding July 2 in Monaco with all IOC members invited.

From Luxembourg, the Grand Duke is coming, an IOC member since 1998.

Willem Alexander, Crown Prince for the Netherlands, rounds out the foursome of active IOC members.

The ex-King of Greece, Constantine, now an honorary IOCmember, is also attending.

The Princess Royal (equestrian), Albert (bobsleigh) and Constantine (sailing) are also Olympians.

Other wedding ceremony Olympians include Wittstock, Albert’s fiancée, who was a swimmer in the 2000 Games. And from Spain, Queen Sofia competed in sailing at the 1960 Olympics, while son Felipe sailed at the 1992 Games.

The best-known Olympian at Westminster Cathedral is simply a friend of William’s – Ian Thorpe, the Australian swimming great.

Former England football captain David Beckham may be the most famous of the sports stars heading to the wedding.

Others include Clive Woodward, director of sport at the British Olympic Association. He is the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach and deputy chef de mission for Team GB at London 2012.

On the political side, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt and Mayor Boris Johnson are among the two dozen government leaders attending, headed by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Written by Ed Hula.