The Swedish foreign ministry has defended the invitation of representatives for several of the world's most severe dictatorships to Saturday's royal wedding, arguing that it is accepted to protocol to invite the entire diplomatic core to ceremonial state occasions.
Representatives from North Korea, Sudan and Eritrea are among those on the guest list for the wedding ceremony in Stockholm Cathedral on Saturday afternoon. The latter, has in particular been the source of considerable debate inSweden in recent years over the imprisonment without trial of Swedish journalistDawit Isaak.
The Royal Court confirmed the guest list with the foreign ministry who passed it without any reservations, according to information head Cecilia Julin.
"This is the praxis we apply for events such as these, that we we invite the whole diplomatic corps," she said.
