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The confirmed guest list and seating plan for the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton was unveiled on Saturday, with celebrities, sports stars and foreign monarchs set to attend.

Musician Elton John, soccer player David Beckham and his pop star wife Victoria and Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson are among the glittering line-up for the service in London's Westminster Abbey this Friday.

In a nod to William's military background and status as second in line to the throne, there will also be a British veteran of the war in Afghanistan and the families of soldiers killed in that country and in Iraq.

The seating plan revealed that William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals will be in the front row, with the Middleton family on the other side of the aisle.

Kate's mother Carole will sit directly opposite the queen.

The Spencer family of William's mother Diana, princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, will sit behind the Middletons.

However, as expected there is no place for Sarah Ferguson, William's aunt and the ex-wife of his uncle Prince Andrew, following a series of tabloid newspaper scandals.

More than 40 foreign royals from countries as diverse as Brunei, Thailand, Morocco and Swaziland are among the "confirmed attendees," according to St James' Palace, William's official residence.

A St James’ Palace spokesman said inviting other crowned heads of state was a long-held tradition, but the Foreign Office's advice was sought on issues.

Since the wedding is not a formal state occasion, world leaders such as US President Barack Obama have not been invited.

There are however several heads of government including Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her New Zealand counterpart John Key, along with governors-general from 15 Commonwealth realms where the queen is still the monarch.

Key figures from the British government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also attend.

The wedding is expected to be watched by a worldwide television audience of about 2 billion people.

去聽寫專區(qū)一展身手

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.