Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were excluded from the wedding of Prince Archie’s godfather after over fears “history is repeating itself”, it has been claimed.
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, is a longtime close friend of the Royal Family, and godparent to both Prince Harry’s son Archie, and Prince William’s son Prince George.
Though the Duke of Westminster is close with both brothers, tensions between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the Royal Family remain high.
With a guestlist that already includes King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, it has been reported that the Duke made the “very sad” decision to not invite Harry and Meghan to the high society wedding.
Hugh Grosvenor was reportedly “very conscious” of the royal row which took place at his sister Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Edward van Cutsem’s 2004 wedding in Chester Cathedral, and did not want history to repeat itself.
In 2004, a-then titleless Camilla was invited to the wedding, which was dubbed the “society event of the year”, but was told that she could not sit with Prince Charles, as Queen Elizabeth II was attending with Prince Philip, and this would go against protocol.
At the time, a Buckingham Palace courtier was quoted saying: “It may provoke comment on the day, but Her Majesty will also be attending and she is a stickler for protocol.
“A pew will be set aside for the members of the Royal Family attending, and it would be inappropriate for Mrs Parker Bowles to sit beside Prince Charles since she has no official standing.
“Even for Mrs Parker Bowles to arrive with the Prince at the event, in the presence of the Queen, would be to confer rights and status upon her that she simply does not have.”
The Duke of Westminster will have been privy to the tensions this caused, and chose to avoid another awkward royal encounter. “Hugh knows how sensitive wedding invitations can be,” a family friend told the Daily Mail.
The news will come as a significant blow to Prince Harry, who has known his close friend since childhood, but the Duke of Westminster is reportedly eager to avoid any potential run-ins that could distract from the big day.
The wedding, which will be taking place at Chester Cathedral next year, is already being dubbed the ‘wedding of the year’, with the Duke of Westminster set to marry his fiance Olivia Henson in a swanky ceremony.
The Grosvenor have a substantial net worth, with the family fortune estimated at £10billion.
Hugh Grosvenor, 32, is one of the richest men in the UK, and was one of the country’s most eligible bachelors before he got engaged to Olivia Henson.
