Prince William will be an usher at a close friend’s wedding but to avoid tensions Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be attending.
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, will marry Olivia Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral on June 7 it what has been billed as the society wedding of the year.
The Times reported on Saturday (May 18) that the Sussexes would not be at the billionaire businessman’s nuptials to avoid tensions “overshadowing” the day.
Grosvenor is said to be a close friend to Prince William and Prince Harry, acting as godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie.
Neither Princess Kate nor King Charles, who are both being treated for cancer, are expected to attend, according to the same publication.
The Duke of Westminster, whose godfather is King Charles, recently topped The Sunday Times Rich List 40 under 40, with estimates he has inherited wealth totalling £10billion.
Four hundred guests are reportedly set to attend the wedding between Grosvenor and Miss Henson, who met in 2021.
A lavish reception at Eaton Hall will follow the wedding ceremony. The next day the newlyweds will host a second, smaller reception at Eaton Hall, the Grosvenors’ estate in Cheshire.
The Sunday Times revealed in 2023 that the Sussexes would not be on the couple’s guest list.
A friend of the princes told the publication: “It’s incredibly sad it has come to this. Hugh is one of the very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both.”
The pal said Grosvenor, 33, wishes the royal siblings could “put their heads together and patch things up”, but realises it’s unlikely to happen before his wedding.
They added: “He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn’t want any awkwardness.”
Sources close to Harry and Meghan suggested they received notice of the wedding, but opted not to attend, believing it would be “too awkward”.
On the day before the wedding, King Charles is due to travel to France with Queen Camilla and Prince William for a series of events to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
William and Harry’s relationship has deteriorated in recent years, with tensions reportedly having arisen over the Duke of Sussex’s stepping down as a senior royal and claims levelled against the Prince of Wales and other senior members of the Royal Family in the Duke’s memoir, Spare, and Sussexes’ Netflix docu-series.
