Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Left Off Guest List for
Longtime Friend's Wedding Over Royal Rift: Report
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be at the June
nuptials of Prince Harry and Prince William’s close friend the Duke of
Westminster
By Simon
Perry Published on December 3, 2023
11:22AM EST
Meghan
Markle and Prince Harry will not be heading to the U.K. in June for the society
wedding of the year.
The Duke
and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly been left off the guest list for the
nuptials of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson, 32 —
despite Grosvenor being close to both Harry, 39, and his estranged brother
Prince William, 41. The wedding is set to take place on June 7, at Chester
Cathedral, in northwest England.
A
spokesperson for Grosvenor — who is one of Britain’s richest men — tells
PEOPLE, “We are not in a position to comment on the guest list.”
According
to the Sunday Times, Kate Middleton and William, as well as King Charles and
Queen Camilla will be at the service, but Grosvenor, 30, — who is a godparent
to William and Kate’s son Prince George, 10 — has reluctantly made the decision
not to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex because he reportedly wants to
avoid a family clash amid the rift between the royal brothers.
Grosvenor’s ties to the royal family are deep-seated.
He is a godson of Charles, 75, and his mother is a godmother to Prince William.
He is also one of Prince Archie’s godparents, the Sunday Times reports.
An unnamed
friend of both princes was quoted in The Sunday Times this weekend as saying,
“It’s incredibly sad it has come to this. 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. He
wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia and
doesn’t want any awkwardness.”
Grosvenor
became the Duke of Westminster following the death of his father Gerald
Cavendish Grosvenor in 2016. Hugh succeeded him to become the seventh Duke of
Westminster. At the time of his death, the late Duke had an estimated net worth
of $12.15 billion, making him the third-richest British citizen at the time,
according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2016. Gerald also owned several acres
of property near Buckingham Palace.
News of the
upcoming wedding came in April after Grosvenor proposed to his girlfriend of
two years, Olivia Henson, at his family's estate at Eaton Hall in northern
England's Cheshire County.
"Members
of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news," a press
release announcing the engagement said at the time.
Hugh is
chair of the Grosvenor Group, an investment and real estate group that manages
rural estates and supports charitable initiatives, as well as being chair of
the Westminster Foundation, which works closely with groups that support
families and schools within their local communities and provides grants for
youth outreach programs for at-risk children.
During the
2020 coronavirus pandemic, his philanthropic efforts made headlines when,
through his foundation, he made $15 million available to NHS Charities
Together.
In April
2023, the Duke's engagement to Olivia Grace Henson (born 1992) was
announced. Olivia attended Marlborough College alongside Princess
Eugenie and is the great-great-granddaughter of Lady Geraldine Mariana
Hervey (died 1955), granddaughter of Frederick Hervey, 2nd Marquess of
Bristol. The couple are set to be married on 7 June 2024 at Chester
Cathedral.
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