The Crown Prince of Bahrain has said he will not attend Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding on Friday because of ongoing unrest in the Gulf kingdom.
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa said it was with “deep regret” that he had reached his “considered decision”.
He said he had hoped the situation in Bahrain would have improved so he could join the celebrations without the couple being “overshadowed”.
He wished the royal couple good wishes personally and on behalf of Bahrain.
Violence
Bahrain, a normally placid Arabian peninsula, has been the focus of ongoing violent clashes between anti-government demonstrators and security forces.
Scores of people have been killed and the government has announced a state of emergency, calling in Saudi troops to keep order.
The recent clashes began in February after police fired on protesters, killing seven people.