Prince Harry has decided not to attend an upcoming wedding as part of a “civilised understanding” between the Duke and his brother, it has been claimed.
Hugh Grosvenor, 33, will marry duchess-to-be Olivia Henson in a lavish ceremony at Chester Cathedral on June 7, in what is tipped to be the wedding of the year.
The Duke of Westminster is close friends with both the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, and the former will serve as the groom’s usher on the big day, which will see over 400 guests attend.
However, Harry will remain in the US as his son’s godfather ties the knot, despite being friends with the Duke of Westminster for many years.
Prince Harry has decided not to attend an upcoming wedding as part of a 'civilised understanding' between the Duke and his brother
GettyIt has previously been reported that Harry and Meghan turned down the invite to the nuptials. However now, a source has shed light on the apparent reason why the Prince said no.
A source said that the Prince has “agreed to stay away” in order to let his brother perform the key role in the ceremony.
“It is understood that a civilised understanding was reached between the Duke [of Westminster] and Harry over the phone. It’s a long way to come from California, after all,” the source told The Times.
They added: “Harry was invited but then agreed to stay away. The Duke’s diplomacy then cleared the way for William to perform the role of usher during Friday’s ceremony — a job that would have been beyond awkward if he was obliged to show Harry to his pew, even though he might enjoy telling him where to go.”
HARRY LATEST:
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster will marry Olivia Henson on June 7Grosvenor 2023 / PAIt is understood that Prince Harry did not see his brother, William, during his last two trips to the United Kingdom.
It is not yet confirmed whether Prince George, the Duke’s godson, will have a role in the nuptials, as it falls on a school day.
The attendance of King Charles and Queen Camilla has also yet to be confirmed and the Princess of Wales will likely not be in attendance as she recovers from her cancer treatment.
Hugh Grosvenor is the godson of the King and has close links to the Royal Family.
Harry and William are not on speaking termsGetty
The Duke of Westminster is close friends with both the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry
PAThe 33-year-old boasts a huge wealth of £10.1billion, topping The Sunday Times 40 Under 40 Rich List.
The duke amassed his wealth at the age of 25, when his father Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster, died unexpectedly in August 2016 from a heart attack.
Speaking of the upcoming wedding, he told The Chester Standard: “We've obviously got a long association with the cathedral as a family so we were here for my father's memorial, my sister's wedding and every Remembrance Sunday that I can attend is here.
“But I'm unbelievably excited and I also wanted to make it very clear how unbelievably helpful people have been, how supportive they've been so far, which I'm unbelievably grateful for because I do realise that it's going to be a big, big thing for the city.”
