The wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, to Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral has highlighted the ongoing rift between Prince William and Prince Harry, as the latter notably skipped the ceremony. According to royal experts, there was no question that Prince William would take priority over his estranged brother at the wedding, with the Prince of Wales even taking on the role of usher.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the Mirror, "There was never any question as to which of the brothers would take centre stage at the wedding. It had to be William. Harry made it clear he wouldn't be attending having had a chat with Hugh about the awkward situation and agreeing he should be the one to step down."
The Duke of Westminster, who is godfather to both Prince William's son George and Prince Harry's son Archie, reportedly came to a "civilised understanding" with Harry for him to miss the wedding. This decision seemingly paved the way for William's attendance and his role as an usher at the ceremony.
Seward added, "There was also the question of Meghan being unwilling to attend such a high-profile society wedding knowing that most of that very society disliked her. Why would she want to come to a country where she could be pilloried, snubbed and embarrassed?"
The wedding, which has been dubbed the "society wedding of the year," was attended by 400 guests, including the Prince of Wales. However, the King did not attend, as he is still undergoing cancer treatments and had a busy week with the D-Day celebrations in Portsmouth and Normandy.
Royal Commentator Michael Cole claimed that the absence of Prince Harry from the wedding is a clear indication that the royal feud between the brothers is still ongoing and that they "cannot be in the same room together." Cole told GB News hosts Ben Leo and Nana Akua, "It would be hellishly embarrassing. Prince William has to show Prince Harry to his seat in the congregation."
Despite not attending the wedding, Cole noted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will most likely "be wishing the new bride and groom well" from their home in Montecito, California. He described Harry's decision not to attend as a "diplomatic solution of a difficult family problem."
Host Nana Akua shared her thoughts on the situation, admitting, "It is sad, really. How about they just grow up and get over it?"
Seward echoed the sentiment, stating that the wedding has shown how deep the rift between William and Harry runs and how it shows no sign of abating. "It is a sad reflection of William and Harry's troubled relationship that the brothers cannot even be in the same place at the same time," she said. "In the old days that would have provided the brothers with a lot of teasing and laughter with each other. Today it would make headlines of the wrong sort. It is a great sadness it has come to this. They will certainly not be reunited in the immediate future."
