From the Clooneys to Oprah: How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry met their celebrity guests.

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While the royal wedding was very much about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the dress and the choir and the sermon, it was equally as much about the famous faces littered throughout the pews.

Amal and George, Oprah, Serena: Some of the world’s most famous people turned out for the union of the royal two, but why?

Did having a recognisable face guarantee you an invite to the wedding of the year, or do each of the celebrities have long-held relationships with the royal couple?

It would turn out there were reasons and relationships behind each of the invites.

George and Amal Clooney

Interestingly, it's believed George and Amal Clooney were invited - and were given such prime seats - because of a friendship between Amal and Meghan. It's reported the two struck up a friendship when Meghan moved to London, and the two now share the same hair stylist.

"Yes, I do Meghan's hair," her hair stylist Miguel Perez told The Mail on Sunday. "I do Amal's, and Meghan is friends with her. I also do George's, I do the whole family. Amal put Meghan and me together when she moved here. I do her colour, her cut and her styling."

Oprah

Earlier this month, it was reported Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was spotted leaving Oprah's California home after spending "hours" together. At the time, it was reported Oprah would release her interview with the mother-of -the-bride after the royal wedding.

So far, that's the only link bringing Oprah to the royal wedding, but also, she's Oprah. She doesn't need links.

James Corden

Believe it or not, James Corden has actually been friends with Prince Harry for many years, dating back to his time as a well-known (but not internationally) comedian in Britain.

Both Corden and his producing partner, Ben Winston, received invites to the wedding, the lunch reception as well as the exclusive evening reception, where he was the MC.

In January, Corden appeared on CBS This Morning and played down his chances of being invited to the wedding.

"I don’t think I’ll be there. I just want to go on the bachelor party. That’s all I’m interested in with Harry. Wedding, sure … he’s going to have a hell of a bachelor party – that’s what I’m looking forward to."

Serena Williams

Serena Williams and Meghan Markle have been friends for many years now, after meeting in 2010 at the Super Bowl.

The two have grown so close, Williams was called upon in a Vanity Fair profile of Markle to add comment on what she is like.

“Her personality just shines,” Serena said about her friend, adding the kind of advice she gave her as her fame exploded. “I told her, ‘You’ve got to be who you are, Meghan. You can’t hide.’”

Likewise, in a Vogue profile of Williams, Markle was asked about how her tennis-star friend would handle motherhood.

“She will be an amazing mum. The very best, because she is so attuned to balancing strength and sensitivity. Plus, given that she is pretty epic at karaoke, I think she’ll put her signature Serena spin on singing lullabies for the baby. I can’t wait for that!”

Tom Hardy

In 2010, Tom Hardy became an ambassador for The Prince's Trust, a charity founded by Prince Charles.

He has appeared multiple times at events for the foundation and it is reported that Prince Harry and Hardy are friends through their involvement.

The charity itself assists young people with employment, with their website stating:

"We believe that every young person should have the chance to embrace exciting opportunities.

"So, we help 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed or struggling at school to transform their lives."

James Blunt

After a number of viewers questioned via social media how James Blunt had managed to land himself on the guest list at St George’s Chapel, the 44-year-old Brit decided to set the record straight.

In a response to a rather blunt tweet by @Zoeinthesky (“Who invited James Blunt to the royal wedding?”), the musician responded simply: “I’ll give you two guesses.”

According to British newspaper The Sun, Blunt is a friend of Prince Harry and previously served with him in the army. In 2016, he attended the Invictus Games as a guest of the Prince.

Carey Mulligan

This is an interesting one, with Carey Mulligan and her musician husband Marcus Mumford - of Mumford & Sons fame - invited to the wedding.

The only clues to a friendship between the couple and Harry and Meghan dates back to 2013, when Harry and his ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas were invited backstage after a Mumford & Sons' gig. Sure, it was reported the group partied, but we would bet it took a liiiiittle more than one night together to land these two an invite.

Idris Elba

Actor Idris Elba isn't exactly best friends with Prince Harry, though he is very closely aligned with The Prince's Trust.

To recap, Prince Charles founded The Prince's Trust in 1976 when "the UK was struggling with record levels of unemployment and spiraling inflation," its official website states, by giving grants to young people facing economic hardships to curb unemployment.

One of these young people was Idris Elba.

Writing for the Mirror in 2013, Elba, who, much like Tom Hardy, became a Prince's Trust ambassador, talked about how The Prince's Trust had an influence on the path he later took.

"I left school at 16 with dreams of attending the National Youth Music Theatre but was disheartened when I realised how much it would cost," he wrote. "It was The Prince’s Trust who made it possible. They gave me a £1,500 grant and set me on the path that would eventually change my life."

He also has been vocal about how Meghan Markle is a "role model" for "any woman".

"Meghan Markle, as a person, regardless of her colour, is a role model. As a strong woman marrying into our royal family, she's going to be a role model for any woman," he told Sky News last year.

"The point is that of course our society is one of mixed heritage and it's nice to see Meghan within the royal family. It's great. And of course she's going to be a beacon and of course she's going to be someone that people look towards."