Prince Harry shuns Archie's godfather's wedding

In the Duke’s absence, Prince William takes on a significant role at Archie's godfather's wedding.

Prince Harry has declined an invitation to the wedding of his son Prince Archie's godfather, where his brother Prince William will play a significant role. 

The groom, Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, shares close ties with both Harry and William. 

The wedding with Olivia Henson is scheduled for June at Chester Cathedral. 

While there were earlier reports suggesting the Sussexes were not invited, it later emerged they were, but opted not to attend to avoid potential awkwardness.

The Mirror reports that Prince Harry rejected a "save the date" for the wedding, citing potential discomfort due to the presence of estranged family members. 

A source told 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.”

According to The Mirror, the Sussexes aim to prevent any royal conflicts from detracting from the wedding day, which is why they are declining to attend their son's godfather's wedding.

Hugh Grosvenor holds the role of godfather not only to Prince Archie but also to Prince George, the son of Prince William. 

With the Sussexes opting out of the event, Prince Harry's brother, the Prince of Wales, is slated to serve as an usher, according to the Sunday Times.

Ahead of Prince Harry's brief trip to the UK earlier this month, royal expert and author Tom Quinn spoke exclusively to The Mirror and said, "William will attend the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the seventh Duke of Westminster – he can hardly avoid it as Hugh is Prince George’s godfather." 

"Harry declined on the grounds that it would just be ‘too awkward’," Quinn added, "but there are other reasons – Harry knows he can’t attend without Meghan and Meghan has absolutely insisted she won’t be there."