Danish princess’s invitation to service was Foreign Office slip

THE Foreign Office (FCDO) has apologised to the Danish royal family after inviting Crown Princess Mary to Elizabeth II’S funeral in error.

Invitations were sent to current heads of state, letting each bring one guest.

The Danish royal family confirmed Princess Mary’s attendance on Sept 13, writing that “HM the Queen and the Crown Prince couple” would be there.

Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik, her son, attended the funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, but Princess Mary did not.

An FCDO source said it was mistakenly suggested that the guest of Queen Margrethe could also bring a guest.

The FCDO yesterday blamed a “regrettable error” on the pressure of having to “send out many invitations within a short space of time”. A spokesman said: “The FCDO has passed on their profound apologies to the Danish royal household.”

Denmark’s Royal House told local news outlet BT: “There has been a regrettable error in the invitation from the British Foreign Office’s protocol.”