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NY Post

Prince William will be an usher at Prince Archie’s godfather’s wedding — will Prince Harry be there?

Eric Todisco
3 min read
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Prince William and Prince Harry will not cross paths at their close friend Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster’s wedding next month.

Grosvenor, 33, who is the godfather of Harry’s son Prince Archie, 5, is marrying Olivia Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral in England on June 7.

William, 41, will be an usher at the ceremony, The Sunday Times reported on May 18.

Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, greeting Prince William on the Stanford Hall Estate in Nottinghamshire on June 21, 2018. AFP via Getty Images
Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, greeting Prince William on the Stanford Hall Estate in Nottinghamshire on June 21, 2018. AFP via Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not going to Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding. REUTERS
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not going to Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding. REUTERS

Harry, meanwhile, is not going to the 400-person wedding “to avoid royal tensions overshadowing the day,” per the UK outlet.

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Back in December, The Times reported that Grosvenor initially wanted to invite Harry, 39, and Meghan Markle, 42, but later decided against it after realizing their presence might overshadow his nuptials.

“We are not in a position to comment on the guest list,” a Grosvenor spokesperson told the outlet at the time.

Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is Prince Archie’s godfather. Alexi Lubomirski / Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is Prince Archie’s godfather. Alexi Lubomirski / Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Hugh Grosvenor and Prince William at Chester Cathedral on November 6, 2004. Getty Images
Hugh Grosvenor and Prince William at Chester Cathedral on November 6, 2004. Getty Images

Conversely, some inside sources speculated that Harry had turned down an invitation because he felt sidelined by the fact that William was assigned an important role at the wedding instead of him.

“William was asked to have a prominent role in the wedding and that’s what triggered Harry to decline an invitation,” a source close to the royals told the Daily Mail on Sunday. “Apparently he [Harry] was put out by the request when he thought it should have been him.”

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The Post has reached out to reps for William and Harry for comment.

Grosvenor, whose inherited fortune is reportedly worth an estimated $12.6 billion, was introduced to Henson by mutual friends in 2021.

The couple will marry at Chester Cathedral and then host a lavish reception at Eaton Hall, Grosvenor’s 11,000-acre family estate. The next day, they will have a smaller reception at Eaton Hall for close family and friends, according to The Times.

Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, is getting married to Olivia Henson in June 2024. UK Press via Getty Images
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, is getting married to Olivia Henson in June 2024. UK Press via Getty Images

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Kate Middleton all won’t be at the wedding either.

The king — who has cancer, as does his daughter-in-law — is traveling to France the day before the wedding with Camilla and William for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Prince William will be an usher at Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Prince William will be an usher at Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding. POOL/AFP via Getty Images

It’s most notable that Harry is not attending the wedding since he’s so close to Grosvenor.

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“It’s incredibly sad it has come to this,” a friend of Harry’s told The Times last year. “Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both. He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realizes it’s unlikely to happen before the wedding.”

The pal added: “He [Grosvenor] wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn’t want any awkwardness.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their son, Prince Archie. WireImage
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their son, Prince Archie. WireImage

Harry was just in London for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games, but he didn’t see any of his estranged family members.

Sources close to Harry claimed that Charles chose not to see his son during the trip, but Charles’ friends said that is untrue, and that the monarch “did of course agree to see his son at the most vulnerable moment of his illness.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went to Nigeria after his quick trip to London. AFP via Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went to Nigeria after his quick trip to London. AFP via Getty Images

Harry has been estranged from his family since quitting his royal duties and moving to California in 2020.

He did, however, visit Charles after learning that his dad had cancer in February.

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