英伦广角 2011-05-01 巴林王子拒绝出席威廉王子婚（在线收听）

The very fact that the Crown Prince of Bahrain had been invited to the royal wedding in the first place was cause for some small controversy amongst human rights campaigners disgusted at the way his regime was handling protests in the Arab Kingdom.

Salman AL-Khalifa is now, as far as public knowledge goes, the first and only person to turn down an invite to next Friday's ceremony. He did so, he says, so as not to overshadow the occasion. "I'm saddened and troubled," he revealed. And addressing the media reports over his invite he said while these have certainly highlighted a number of significant issues currently facing the Kingdom of Bahrain, they have fundamentally misrepresented my own views, outlook and position on recent events, and thus, clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain.

Clarence House confirmed that it was told this morning that the Crown Prince of Bahrain wouldn't now be coming to London, although it is understood that the Bahraini ambassador to London will be attending the wedding next Friday.

A whole collection of foreign royalty and political heads of state will be amongst the 1,900 guests in Westminster Abbey next week.

"Quite clearly common senses prevailed. It is conventional that foreign royals are invited, but they are invited on the advice of the Foreign Office, and quite clearly the Foreign Office got it wrong and totally out of touch with what's  going on in that part of the world."

Crown Prince  Khalifa's ally Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf of Saudi Arabia will also be present. His country lent military support to Bahrain following the anti-government protests.

Downing Street and the Foreign Office would have advised Clarence House and Buckingham Palace on political and diplomatic invites. The British government has been repeatedly outspoken about the Bahraini regime's attitude towards protesters. Diplomatically, the Crown Prince's no-show might allow David Cameron to relax a little more when he takes a seat in Westminster Abbey on Friday.

Alistair Bunkall, Sky News, Clarence House.