Royal wedding snub brings deluge of invitations

Television NZ camerman Andrew Dalton rehearsing with Marie and Mike Sheppard for the Seven Sharp interview. Photo / Bevan Conley

Marie Sheppard may have been snubbed by the British Royal family but she is hot property to national news outlets.

Producers from Television NZ's Seven Sharp programme and TV3's The Project have been chasing the Whanganui woman for her story since she featured on the Wanganui Chronicle front page on Monday.

Mrs Sheppard wrote to Buckingham Palace two weeks ago asking for an invitation to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19.

She received a reply from the Queen's deputy correspondence co-ordinator Jennie Vine stating that an invitation to the wedding "is not a matter with which Her Majesty can assist you" on official letterhead paper.

Sheppard now says she is "gobsmacked" at the amount of attention her story has attracted.

"My phone started dinging at 7am and it hasn't stopped.

"I'm amazed that nobody else in New Zealand has asked for an invitation.

"Don't people write letters anymore?"

She said The Project producer offered to fly her to Auckland and put her up at the Sky Tower so she could appear on tonight's programme.

"I couldn't do that at such short notice and I've agreed to talk to Hilary Barry on Seven Sharp."

TVNZ cameraman Andrew Dalton drove from Wellington to film the live link interview at Sheppard's Castlecliff home on Tuesday afternoon.

"I am talking to The Edge radio tomorrow morning as well," she said.

Mrs Sheppard and husband Mike said the experience was amusing and had given them a taste of what it is like to be stalked by the "paparazzi".

"I knew my request was a long shot and I was just happy to get the letter.

"It's a bit stressful but I'm doing this for Whanganui because this place deserves to be in the spotlight."

The couple's friends and family in other parts of New Zealand and overseas were also calling them to say they had seen their story online.