FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 file photo, former U.S. President Barack Obama, center left, and Britain's Prince Harry watch wheelchair basketball at the Invictus Games in Toronto. Former President... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 file photo, former U.S. President Barack Obama, center left, and Britain's Prince Harry watch wheelchair basketball at the Invictus Games in Toronto. Former President Barack Obama told Prince Harry in an interview broadcast Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017 that he felt... (Associated Press) 
 
 LONDON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama told Prince Harry in an interview broadcast Wednesday that he felt serene the day he left the White House despite the sense that much important work remained unfinished. 
 
 Obama said it was "hugely liberating" to be able to set his own agenda in the morning and to have the time to talk with his wife, Michelle, now that he is no longer president. 
 
 He spoke with Harry in the prince's capacity as guest editor of the BBC Radio 4 news program. Both men said the interview, recorded in Canada in September, was Obama's first since leaving the presidency in January. 
 
 "I miss the work itself because it was fascinating," Obama said of his eight years in the Oval Office, citing his health care reforms as one of his proudest achievements. 
 
 He did not mention his successor, President Donald Trump, but did say people in government should be careful in their use of social media. 
 
 In his guest editing slot, Harry also focused on climate change, the military and mental health. 
 
 He used his position to ask Obama a "lightning round" of questions of the type normally asked of entertainers, not politicians. 
 
 The former president declined to say whether he wears boxers or briefs, but was willing to say he prefers Aretha Franklin to Tina Turner — "Aretha is the best," he said of the Queen of Soul — and favors retired basketball star Michael Jordan over current star LeBron James. 
 
 Obama also said he is "obsessed" with helping to train the next generation of leaders and said the world is in many ways healthier and wealthier than it has ever been. 
 
 Harry also interviewed his father, Prince Charles, who offered more gloomy assessment. He said the root causes of climate change are not being addressed even as it leads to more destruction in many parts of the world. 
 
 At the end of the show, Harry would not say whether Obama will be invited to his May wedding to American actress Meghan Markle, saying the guest list hadn't been drawn up yet. But he did say Markle had enjoyed her first Christmas as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II at her country estate. 
 
 "She really enjoyed it, and the family loved having her there," Harry said. ||||| Image copyright PA 
 
 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not invited Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn to their wedding. 
 
 The decision not to have an "official list" of political leaders in attendance also means that US President Donald Trump will not be invited. 
 
 The decision was made based on the church's size and the fact Prince Harry is only fifth in line to the throne. 
 
 It has also been confirmed that Barack and Michelle Obama, who are friends of the prince, have not been invited. 
 
 Among the 1,200 members of the public who will be allowed into the grounds of Windsor Castle on 19 May will be a 12-year-old girl injured in the Manchester Arena attack. 
 
 Amelia Thompson, from Dronfield Woodhouse, near Sheffield, was left traumatised after witnessing the bomb blow up after the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. She also damaged her vocal cords from screaming in horror. 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Amelia wants to take along a grandmother bereaved in the Manchester Arena bombing 
 
 As her plus one, the schoolgirl will take grandmother Sharon Goodman, whose grand-daughter Olivia Campbell-Hardy died in the bombing. 
 
 The decision to invite those with a close relationship to the couple but not "an official list of political leaders" was taken in consultation with the government, Kensington Palace said. 
 
 By contrast the invitation list for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 - reflecting the groom's position as a future monarch - included foreign royals, Commonwealth governors-general, ambassadors, senior religious figures and many politicians from around the world. 
 
 The then-Prime Minister David Cameron, deputy PM Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband were among those who attended. 
 
 US President Barack Obama was not a guest, but Australian PM Julia Gillard and New Zealand PM John Key were among the leaders from Commonwealth countries invited. 
 
 Prince Harry's wedding will be a very different occasion, as well as being considerably smaller, and an early decision was taken to invite members of the public into the castle grounds on the day. 
 
 Individuals were chosen by the regional Lord Lieutenant offices after the couple asked for people with a range of backgrounds and ages. 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Reuben Litherland's mother Jacinta said her son deserved the invitation as he does all the work for deaf-friendly cinema screenings himself 
 
 Those who have received an invitation to the outside area include Reuben Litherland, 14, from Derby, in recognition of his work for the deaf community. 
 
 Reuben, who campaigns for deaf-friendly screenings at cinemas, said: "I opened the letter and I couldn't believe it... we danced around." 
 
 Also invited is Pamela Anomneze, 52, from Haringey in north London, who works at an organisation which helps people with mental illness through art and crafts. 
 
 The mother-of-three said she initially thought the invite was an "April Fool's prank", adding it is "truly unbelievable". 
 
 Ms Anomneze said she will take her son Jude, 15, as her plus one because he "was down on his knees begging to go" and saying: "Oh mum, just to get a glimpse of Meghan Markle!"' 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Pamela Anomneze was invited because of her work at an arts organisation helping people with mental health issues 
 
 Meanwhile, primary school teacher David Gregory from Blyth, Northumberland, who has started a recycling initiative and STEM club at his school, also received an invite. 
 
 He will go to the castle in the suit he wore at his own wedding last May, as the next day marks his and his wife Hannah's first anniversary. 
 
 Members of the public who are on the guest-list are invited to bring their own picnic to the castle grounds. 
 
 Rosie Grinday, the founder of the Birmingham-based social enterprise Miss Macaroon, was invited because of the training her business provides to disadvantaged young people. 
 
 She said she will be taking some of her macaroons to the royal wedding as part of her picnic. ||||| Prince Harry definitely knows how to handle a difficult question. 
 
 The prince bagged former U.S. President Barack Obama's first interview since leaving office, during his stint as guest editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday. 
 
 The two definitely had the banter, and you can tell that they're close. 
 
 SEE ALSO: Barack Obama and Prince Harry want activists to get off their hashtags and into the real world 
 
 But presenters from the Today programme interviewed the prince after the Obama session. And the hosts asked him directly what everyone wanted to know: Would Obama get an invite to Prince Harry's wedding to American actress Meghan Markle in May? 
 
 "Well, I don't know about that. We haven't put the invites or the guestlist together yet so who knows whether he's going to be invited or not. Wouldn't want to ruin that surprise," Prince Harry said. 
 
 The question is especially on everyone's mind as The Sun reported, citing a "senior government source," that the government doesn't want Prince Harry to invite Obama to his wedding as it would risk the former president coming to a royal wedding before President Donald Trump has a chance to meet the Queen. 
 
 Prime Minister Theresa May has invited Trump for an official state visit, which would include meeting the Queen, but the visit hasn't been scheduled amid fears that it would be met with mass protests. 
 
 Prince Harry's entire interview with Obama is well worth a listen. We all need something to kill the time while we're waiting for our wedding invites, right?
– Former President Obama told Prince Harry in a BBC interview broadcast Wednesday that despite the sense that much important work remained unfinished on the day he left the White House, "there was a serenity there, more than I would have expected." Obama said it's "hugely liberating" to be able to set his own agenda in the morning and have time to talk with his wife, Michelle, in his post-presidency. He spoke with Harry in the prince's capacity as guest editor of the BBC Radio 4 news program, reports the AP. The interview, recorded in Canada in September, was Obama's first since leaving the Oval Office in January. "I miss the work itself because it was fascinating," Obama said of his eight years, citing health care reform as one of his proudest achievements. He did not mention his successor, but did say government officials should be careful in using social media. Harry also focused on climate change, the military, mental health, and asked Obama a "lightning round" of questions. The former president declined to say whether he wears boxers or briefs, but prefers Aretha Franklin to Tina Turner—"Aretha is the best"—and favors basketball star Michael Jordan over LeBron James. Obama also said he is "obsessed" with helping to train the next generation of leaders. As for the elephant in the room—whether Harry will invite Obama to his May wedding to Meghan Markle—Mashable notes that the prince deferred, saying, "Well, I don't know about that. We haven't put the invites or the guest list together yet, so who knows whether he's going to be invited or not. Wouldn't want to ruin that surprise." He did say Markle enjoyed her first Christmas as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II. "She really enjoyed it, and the family loved having her there."