Prince Harry is tactfully sidestepping any potential conflicts with his elder brother Prince William.
Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, shares a close friendship with both Prince Harry and Prince William. His upcoming wedding to Olivia Henson is scheduled to take place in just a few weeks in June at Chester Cathedral.
Previously, reports indicated that Prince Harry declined a "save the date" to the Duke of Westminster's wedding to avoid potentially uncomfortable encounters with estranged family members who will also be attending. Initially, it was suggested that the Sussexes were not invited, but it later came to light that they were indeed invited but chose not to attend due to anticipated awkwardness.
Speaking to Page Six at the time, a source said: "Harry actually got a 'save the date' card a few months ago but called Hugh and said it would be too awkward if he andMeghan Markleattended, so he made his apologies and Hugh understood.
And now, according to recent reports, the Sussexes want to avoid royal tensions overshadowing the day, hence why they are snubbing the wedding of their son's godfather. Hugh Grosvenor is not only godfather to Prince Archie, but he is also godfather to William's sonPrince George.
With the Sussexes snubbing the event, Harry's brother, the Prince of Wales, is set to be an usher. William will be among the groom’s party at the 400-person ceremony but his younger brother the Duke of Sussex will not attend, the Sunday Times reported yesterday.
Last month, ahead of Harry's brief trip to the UK earlier this month, royal expert and author Tom Quinn spoke exclusively to TheMirrorand said:
"William will attend the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the seventh Duke of Westminster – he can hardly avoid it as Hugh isPrince George’s godfather." He then noted how "Harry declined on the grounds that it would just be ‘too awkward’," adding: "But there are other reasons – Harry knows he can’t attend without Meghan and Meghan has absolutely insisted she won’t be there."