Why Are Kate Middleton and Prince William Inviting Their Exes to the Royal Wedding?

A total of six hot exes will be at the church for the wedding of a generation; where's the scandal?

Prince William and Kate have invited six exes to their wedding? Is that kosher for a royal couple?
—Ami, via the inbox

Sister, the Beckhams are invited to this wedding. The Beckhams. And you think a handful of prep-school-educated polo fans are a scandal? Ancient etiquette aside, it's amazing how much flexibility these two have with their guest list. And here's why ...

But first, let's take a look at these four gals. (There are also two men, exes of Kate's. But Will has a much deeper back bench. You know: the royalty thing. Drives the ladies crazy.) The prince has invited Rose Farquhar, Arabella Musgrave, Olivia Hunt and Jecca Craig. Each one of these broads is classier and prettier than the last. On the big day, each will, doubtless, be wearing an amazing custom-tailored hat. And—most importantly—all of them run in the same general social circle as the royal family.

In other words: These ladies may be exes, but they're also generally believed to be real friends of the bride, groom or both.

Another factor to consider: Officially—and that word means quite a lot when we're talking about the Palace—this isn't the most formal an occasion can get in England. Yes. really.

"As William is not the current heir to the throne, his wedding is considered a ‘semi-state' occasion, rather than a state occasion, like the wedding of his parents 30 years go," explains Jennifer Clark, a spokeswoman for VisitBritain, national tourism agency of England, Scotland and Wales.

"As such, Prince William and Catherine have more flexibility with their guest list. While no names have been officially released, some 1,900 guests have been invited to the wedding, according to St. James' Palace. About half of these are family and friends of the couple, including the owner of Catherine's favorite local pub, the Old Boot Inn."

And look: If there are people representing an Old Boot Inn, there's no reason not to include a half-dozen Old Flames.

Finally, royal weddings are not strangers to exes. When Prince Charles married Diana, his then-ex, Camilla, was in attendance. And when Charles finally married that same Camilla, her ex, Andrew Parker Bowles was a guest.

So, in a way, Will and Kate are just...following tradition!