Prince Harry is facing another sharp reminder of his fractured relationship with Britain after a new Daily Express poll found overwhelming opposition to his attending cousin Peter Phillips' upcoming wedding in Gloucestershire, underscoring how deeply public sentiment around the Duke of Sussex appears to have hardened since his royal exit with Meghan Markle in 2020.
The online poll, which closed Tuesday, showed 3,108 respondents opposing Harry's attendance at the June 6 wedding of Peter Phillips and NHS nurse Harriet Sperling at All Saints Church in the Cotswolds. Only 138 respondents supported the idea, while 34 said they were undecided.
The figures emerged amid mounting reports that Harry and Meghan were never invited to the ceremony in the first place. Several British outlets, including Hello! magazine, reported that the couple's absence reflects not only practical concerns about media attention but also years of deteriorating personal ties inside the House of Windsor.
One respondent quoted by the Daily Express captured a sentiment increasingly visible among sections of the British public: "A hard NO. All the attention would be on Harry rather than the bride and groom. It's their day and everyone should have their eyes on them!"
Another reader wrote simply, "My answer to that is NO!", while a third argued Harry and Meghan "do 'NOT' deserve to attend any function the RF is attending."
The wedding itself is expected to draw several senior royals, including King Charles III, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, has reportedly opted for a smaller and more private ceremony focused on close family and longtime friends rather than a large public royal event.
A source cited by Hello! magazine said the couple wanted an intimate gathering in the Cotswolds, describing the area as somewhere "where they grew up and is very special to them both." Another insider reportedly gave a more direct explanation for Harry's absence, stating: "Peter and Harry haven't spoken for several years and have simply lost touch, so he hasn't been invited."
The reported exclusion reflects how the fallout from Harry and Meghan's departure from royal duties has spread beyond the better-known tensions with Prince William and King Charles. What was once viewed primarily as a feud between brothers increasingly appears to involve a broader cooling of relations across the extended royal family.
Notably, the guest list is also said to exclude Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, reinforcing the impression that Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling are deliberately keeping the ceremony tightly controlled and free from controversy. Andrew remains sidelined from royal life following the scandal surrounding his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent loss of his official royal duties.
For Harry, public appearances in Britain have become increasingly rare and politically delicate. Since relocating to California with Meghan and their children, the Duke has largely returned to the UK only for major ceremonial occasions and court proceedings. Even then, appearances have often been overshadowed by speculation about strained family dynamics and security disputes.
The prospect of Harry attending another royal gathering now carries a different calculation for both organizers and palace officials. Any appearance by the Sussexes generates enormous international media attention, often eclipsing the event itself. In this case, royal commentators suggested the risk of overshadowing the bride and groom may have weighed heavily on decisions surrounding invitations.
The Daily Express poll is not scientific and reflects only readers who chose to participate. Still, the scale of opposition highlights the extent to which public attitudes toward Harry remain polarized years after the publication of Spare, the Oprah Winfrey interview and the Sussexes' repeated criticism of royal life.
At the same time, neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for Harry and Meghan have publicly commented on the wedding reports or confirmed whether an invitation was ever issued.
