'Ducking' Prince William at Every Turn: Prince Harry to Skip Major Society Wedding This Summer to Avoid Future King
Prince Harry will "duck" another possible Prince William reunion by skipping the wedding between Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson, the soon-to-be Duke and Duchess of Westminster, on June 7. The "major wedding" has also seen invitations being sent to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as well as Kate, Princess of Wales.
A source close to the fifth in line to the throne spilled how the fiery-haired prince personally called Grosvenor to apologize in advance for not attending. They also explained how the Hollywood Duke specifically did so in order to avoid "any and all" possible encounters with his estranged family members. Further revelations were shared, including Meghan Markle's alleged turning down of the invitation, and her insistence on "commanding" her spouse to do the same.
This also calls into question reports suggesting the outsider prince and the Prince of Wales were set to meet when Harry attends an Invictus Games celebration in London on May 8. This could mean that Harry never had any intention of meeting with the Prince and Princess of Wales in May if he already nixed a glossy wedding invite to avoid them.
Backing up the insider's insight about Meghan's possible decision-making, royal author Tom Quinn dished: "But there are other reasons — Harry knows he can’t attend without Meghan, and Meghan has absolutely insisted she won’t be there."
Grosvenor became the seventh Duke of Westminster upon his father's death in 2016. The title is significant for being the last non-royal Dukedom created when Queen Victoria installed the title on Grosvenor's ancestor in 1874. The aristocrat has long been friends with William and Harry and is a godparent to both Prince George and Prince Archie, respectively. Henson previously went to the same boarding school at Marlborough Cottage as Princess Eugenie.
This news follows reports of both Harry and Meghan planning to return to Britain in May.
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"He will have to do something to acknowledge the huge difficulties his family is going through, but he won’t want to do or say anything that seems to imply anything less than wholehearted support for his permanently aggrieved wife," Quinn told an outlet about the difficulties the duo could face.
It would be the Duchess of Sussex's first trip to Britain since Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in September 2022.
There are reports that the former actress may avoid the trip. A palace insider shared: "Her last visit was not about her, but simply a paying of respects to a revered monarch. Therefore, the intense media focus would fall directly on her this time, [and] she is absolutely reviled in Great Britain — loathed doesn't begin to describe it."
Tatler reported on Harry's wedding decision.