Prince Harry Declined Invitation to Close Friend’s Wedding to Avoid an 'Awkward' Reunion With Prince William and Kate Middleton

Britsh outlets previously reported Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were snubbed by longtime friend Hugh Grosvenor for his wedding day. Despite the running headlines, an additional source claimed Harry was asked to attend, but he didn't want his family drama to outshine Grosvenor and his bride-to-be.

"Harry actually got a ‘save the date’ card a few months ago but called Hugh and said it would be too awkward if he and Meghan Markle attended, so he made his apologies and Hugh understood," a source revealed to an outlet.

OK! previously reported the Duke of Westminster's team refrained from confirming if the Sussexes planned on traveling to the U.K. for the ceremony.

"We are not in a position to comment on the guest list," a spokesperson for Grosvenor said in a statement.

At the time, an insider shared they were disappointed by the Sussexes' anticipated absence.

“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," the source shared.

"He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realizes it’s unlikely to happen before the wedding," they added. "He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia and doesn’t want any awkwardness."

The feud between the Wales and Sussexes was a key point of Omid Scobie's new book, Endgame, as the royal expert accused the future king of failing to support his sister-in-law.

"If the goings-on behind-the-scenes: the leaking, the briefing, the lack of support and speaking out for Meghan, from William, and all the rest, if those things didn't happen they would still be in the U.K. as senior working royals," Scobie stated.

"And I think the current landscape of working royals would look a lot more different," he continued.

Despite Meghan's struggle to transition into her role as a duchess, Scobie believes the Sussexes resonated with the new generation of Brits.

"I think there's a very noticeable void in that current working lineup now without them," Scobie admitted. "Harry and Meghan connected with a younger demographic in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth in a way that other royal families just weren't."

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After leaving the U.K. in 2020, Meghan and Harry blamed the Windsors' "unconscious biases" and the tabloid industry for their move, and Scobie sympathized with the Suits star's grievances.

"I saw this for what it was, which was a mixed-race woman who was largely left unprotected and not defended or helped," Scobie stated. "Regardless of whether you like Meghan or not, she was still a human being and one that should have been treated as an equal to the people around her, but consistently wasn't."

"A lot of people I’ve known from my years of covering the royals will not see me as someone to talk to again," he explained. "And I'm OK with that."

Sources spoke to Page Six.