Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa had previously confirmed his attendance, fuelling criticism of the couple for inviting royals from Bahrain and other countries where protests have been crushed in recent weeks.
Prince said he had delayed sending his regrets, hoping for the situation in Bahrain to improve before the wedding in London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, which will be attended by royals from around 40 countries.
Statement from his office in Manama, the crown prince said British media had "misrepresented" his stance and "clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain".
Media reports had speculated that Crown Prince Salman would withdraw to avoid embarrassment after a bloody crackdown on mainly Shiite Muslim protesters in Sunni-ruled Bahrain left at least 24 people dead.
St James's Palace, William's official residence, confirmed the decision.
"We were informed today that he will not be attending the wedding," a spokesman said, declining to give any details about the reasons for the crown prince's withdrawal.
List of confirmed guests released by the palace on Saturday includes celebrities such as footballer David Beckham and his fashion designer wife Victoria, musician Elton John and Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Australian Olympian Ian Thorpe are also on the guest list.
British anti-monarchy campaign group Republic hit out at inclusion of royals from not only Bahrain but also Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brunei, Qatar, Swaziland, Lesotho, Bhutan and Kuwait.
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