PRINCE Harry “will not attend” the most exclusive wedding of the year to “avoid” Prince William, according to a royal expert.
The Duke of Sussex has agreed not to attend the nuptials of billionaire Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, who is getting married on Friday.
8
8
Meanwhile, Prince William will be present and play an important role in his close friend’s lavish wedding as a concierge.
The aristocrat and businessman, who is godfather to Archie and Prince George, is said to have invited the two rival brothers to his wedding to Olivia Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral on June 7.
Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “The Duke of Westminster is one of the few people who has remained friends with William and Harry since their row.
“So he was in a very difficult position, but he must have realized that it was virtually impossible for both brothers to attend the wedding.”
Hugh is said to have spoken on the phone with Prince Harry who “accepted his dilemma”.
Phil added: “Harry is probably very upset about not coming as he has been close to the Duke for many years.
“But it was just a failure.
“If he had come, he would have been ordered to sit down by William, who is a doorman, and the friction would have been obvious for everyone to see.
“Harry must be resentful of William’s prominent role and the brothers are as distant as ever, but it seems Harry understands the Duke of Westminster’s problem.
“It’s just another example of how sad it is that we’ve reached this point and William and Harry are on such bad terms.
“This is causing distress not only for them but also for their friends.”
The Duke of Westminster topped the Sunday Times Rich List for under-40s when it was released on May 17, with an estimated wealth of £10.127 billion, which eclipses the fortunes of William and Harry.
He became a billionaire at age 25 after his father, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, died in 2016 of a heart attack at age 64.
Hugh and Olivia announced their engagement at Eaton Hall in Cheshire in April last year, after being together for two years.
8
8
8
8
It is said that there are 400 guests for his and Olivia’s wedding.
Kate, the princess of Waleswho is receiving cancer treatment should not attend.
King Charles – who is also undergoing treatment – is also unlikely to be present, despite being Hugh’s godfather.
Hugh was rumored to have wanted Harry and Meghan at the wedding, but ultimately decided not to, in light of the ongoing feud between the two princes.
If he [Harry] had arrived, he would have been ordered to sit down by William, who is a doorman, and the friction would have been obvious for all to see
Phil Dampier
A friend said: “It’s incredibly sad that it has come to this.
“Hugh is one of the few close friends of William and Harry who has maintained strong ties and a line of communication with both of them.
“He wishes they could come together and fix things, but realizes that’s unlikely to happen before the wedding.”
He and Olivia were introduced by mutual friends in 2021 and reportedly insisted on a “strict no-gift policy” for guests.
The extensive estates of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster
The Grosvenor family originally made their fortune in mining before turning to the world of real estate.
Hugh inherited an impressive property portfolio when his father passed away in 2016.
The Duke owns Park Lane in London and half of Mayfair.
Additionally, properties that Hugh owns include:
- Eaton Estate – the Grosvenor family home of 11,500 acres in Cheshire.
- Abbeystead – the 23,500 acre shooting estate in Lancashire.
- Finca La Garganta Estate – 37,000 acre plot of land in rural Córdoba, near Seville, Spain.
- Reay Forest in Sutherland, Scotland.
Following the wedding ceremony, guests will enjoy a reception at nearby Eaton Hall on the Grosvenors’ 11,000-acre estate.
A second, smaller reception will be held there for family and close friends.
Hugh, who often keeps a low profile, said he is “incredibly excited” about the wedding but admitted it will be “disheartening”.
Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward added that she doubted the Sussexes would want to fly to the UK – where they are unpopular – and attend a wedding where they might attract unnecessary attention.
Ingrid told The Sun: “Harry and Meghan obviously probably have no intention of flying 5,000 miles to attend a wedding. It’s the society wedding of the year when society doesn’t want to meet them – especially Meghan.
“I guess what I mean is that the last thing Meghan wanted to do was fly to the UK – where she is deeply unpopular – and be shown, if you will, what she would be,
“To give them credit, they knew that their presence there would completely divert attention from the bride and groom, and that usually happens when royals attend a wedding.”
A Timeline of Prince Harry’s Family Feud
In 2018, the Sun told how “simmering tension
The first signs of friction emerged after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace.
Once she returned home to Canada, William and Harry sat down for a sibling chat.
He knew Harry was already crazy about her, but it was claimed he advised him to take it slow.
The younger prince reportedly didn’t take the advice very well, with a royal source saying he “went crazy.”
Then, in June 2019, Harry and Meghan officially split from the charity they shared with William and Kate.
The Royal Foundation will be split between the Sussexes and the Cambridges, while the couples focus on their own separate charitable efforts.
Prince William and Prince Harry first established the Royal Foundation in 2009, before Kate joined two years later, shortly after their engagement was announced.
The trio often appeared together at events and the Foundation has had huge success with projects such as the Invictus Games for injured veterans and the Heads Together mental health campaign.
The Royal Foundation said the decision was made after completing a review of its structure – but added that the two couples would continue to work together in the future.
Harry and Meg lived near Kate and Wills on the Kensington Palace estate, but moved to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor before baby Archie was born.
The move further fueled rumors of a fallout.
Harry, 39, also hinted in his ITV documentary “Harry and Meghan, An African Journey” that he and his brother had grown apart.
In 2021, Harry and Meghan gave their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, where Harry accused his father of holding him back financially.
Harry then flew back to the UK to join William in unveiling a statue of his mother, Princess Diana, in the grounds of Kensington Palace. But sources said William did not want to attend the memorial amid the fallout.
In 2022, shortly before the death of her grandmother, the Queen, sources claimed that Kate acts as a “peacemaker” between the siblings.
Harry claimed his brother “knocked him to the ground” during an argument about Meghan, in his memoir.
In Spare, Harry said William labeled Meghan “rude” and “difficult” during a fight.
Harry claimed that William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and…knocked me to the ground.”
He said he was left with a visible injury to his back after the 2019 argument at Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he lived at the time.
In January this year, Harry flew to be with Charles following the shock of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis.
Harry flew back to the US the next day – without seeing Wills.
8
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
