05 December 2023 , 21:46
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Prince Harry reportedly declined an invitation to the "society wedding of the year" to avoid an "awkward" encounter with his brother Prince William and sister-in-law, Princess Kate
The Duke of Sussex was allegedly sent a "Save the Date" card from his good friend Hugh Grosvenor for his summertime wedding next year but turned it down due to his ongoing feud with the Royal Family. Harry has been friends with Hugh, who is the Duke of Westminster, for years - and he is believed to be Prince Archie's godfather.
Some reports suggest Prince Harry personally called Hugh to explain he believed it would be best if he and Meghan didn't attend the event.
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Prince Harry reportedly turned down an invitation to Hugh Grosvenor's wedding (PA)
Prince Harry reportedly declined it to avoid an awkward encounter between Meghan and Kate (Getty Images)An insider told the Page Six: "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.”
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If he and Meghan were in attendance, it would've been the first time the Duchess of Sussex and Kate reunited since the late Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022 - an encounter both may be eager to avoid as the pair have reportedly shared bad blood since Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family.
The news that Prince Harry was avoiding the wedding comes as a shock to many as both Harry and his brother William used to be very close pals with Hugh. He's such good friends with the royal brothers that he's godfather to both Prince George and Prince Archie. Hugh was also a guest at Meghan and Harry's wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018.
Hugh previously attended Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 (Getty Images)The lavish ceremony is set to be held at Chester Cathedral on June 7 when the Duke of Westminster will be exchanging vows with his longtime partner Olivia Henson. Invitations to the wedding have already been sent out to a number of famous royals including King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Although it seems clear Prince Harry won't be attendance, there have been conflicting reports as to why. While some outlets say he declined the invitation, others claimed he was never invited to the wedding in the first place. The Times reported that because Hugh is close with the Royal Family, he purposefully excluded the Sussexes from the event "to avoid a family clash in the House of Windsor."