Diplomatic trouble surrounding the Queen's birthday party

The king of Bahrain, whose regime is being accused of human rights abuses, was among 50 foreign royals who attended a luncheon held last weekend to celebrate 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

The official list of attendees at the Windsor Castle lunch included King Hamad of Bahrain, whose Gulf island nation has been rocked by unrest following a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. The list was released only hours before the dinner.

Guests attending the Queen's reception (Source: AFP)

The invitation to the guests to the party above caused some diplomatic trouble.

Queen Sophia of Spain has refused to attend this week's party because of tensions with Britain over the Gibraltar territory, and protesters have also gathered in London because the royal family has invited the King of Swaziland, Mswati III.

Royals from Brunei, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are on the guest list.

Emperor Akihito of Japan, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands were also among the 17 reigning royals in attendance.

Buckingham Palace said the Foreign Office had approved the invitation to King Hamad.

But veteran MP Dennis MacShane, a former Europe minister, said the Foreign Office should have prevented the Queen from dining with a "tyrant".

An AFP reporter at Windsor Castle said security was light and there was no sign of protests. A few groups of supporters were seen waving Bahraini flags.

About 150 people gathered to witness the arrival of the limousines and several of the royals waved to the crowds as they entered. Some Japanese cheered and bowed as they saw the Emperor.

One spectator, Clare, 60, used binoculars to watch the flags on the limousines. "This is not a political event. It's a shame people are attaching politics to it. The 60th anniversary is a celebration for the Queen," she told AFP.

Queen Elizabeth, 86, and her husband, Prince Philip, warmly welcomed guests as they arrived. Inside the reception room before the banquet, Prince William and Duchess Kate chatted with Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene, before guests gathered for photos.

The royal guests then began with poached eggs and English asparagus. This was followed by Windsor lamb with peas, artichokes, carrots and broad beans, and potatoes braised with mushrooms. The guests had English strawberries and vanilla charlotte for dessert. After lunch, the guests attended a dinner at Buckingham Palace, although King Hamad will not attend the event, which is hosted by Prince Charles.

Britain has close ties with Bahrain and has been cautious in its foreign policy since the protests began. Prime Minister David Cameron held a meeting with King Hamad at Downing Street and urged him to implement reforms, saying Britain would support him if he did.

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has declined an invitation to attend William and Kate's wedding after British public outcry over the crackdown on protesters in Bahrain. Amnesty International says about 60 people have been killed in Bahrain since anti-government protests began in February last year.

The lunch is one of the main events before the official four-day celebration, starting on June 2, to celebrate the Queen's 60 years in power./.

According to (TTXVN) - DT