In the latest edition of the podcast "Palace Confidential," royal observers Rebecca English and Richard Eden discussed the curious absence of Prince Harry from the wedding of his long-standing friend, Jack Mann, prompting speculation about the current status of their relationship.
Mann, a close friend from Prince Harry's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst days, married Isabella Clarke at St. Peter's Church in Suffolk, England, on July 1. However, the Duke of Sussex was conspicuously absent from the celebration.
"Harry and Jack share a strong bond, originating from their days at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst," Eden, the diary editor for Daily Mail, commented. "They were commissioned into the Blues and Royals simultaneously. Mann has been a central figure in Harry's life."
The strength of their friendship was underscored by Mann's presence in a private photo from Prince Harry's wedding in May 2018, featured in the Duke and Duchess' Netflix docuseries aired in 2022. The image showed Prince Harry, Mann, and other close friends sharing a jovial moment.
Eden noted, "In the Netflix series, we saw some private photos from the wedding, and one of them featured this 'band of brothers' image, where Jack was among Harry's close friends. Harry and Meghan's absence from this wedding was quite surprising."
Host Jo Elvin observed that the rift between Prince Harry and the royal family seemed to be seeping into his wider circle of friends, a sentiment echoed by Rebecca English, Daily Mail's royal editor.
English said, "Several people are truly appalled by Harry's actions post-royal family departure. His revelations have caused deep wounds."
Prince William and Harry, as per English, had cultivated a tight-knit circle of friends during their upbringing. She added, "There were people who have been loyal to Harry over the years who now feel that their loyalty has not been reciprocated."
While it remains uncertain whether the ties between Mann and Prince Harry have frayed, Eden referred to the Duke's memoir "Spare," where he admitted the strain in several friendships after his interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
"Harry's revelations have inflicted considerable damage to old relationships," Eden said. "Considering other mutual friends of William and Harry were present at the wedding, it indeed paints a somber picture."
While Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were seen in public in California on June 30 and again at a Fourth of July parade, English speculated, "Any event they attend ends up focusing on them and the dynamics with other royal family members, often making their attendance more trouble than it's worth."
