Prince William was destined to take "centre stage" at the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson on June 7 at Chester Cathedral.
According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, despite the Duke's close friendship with both William and Prince Harry, only William served as an usher while Harry was conspicuously absent.
The decision for Harry to skip the wedding was reached through a "civilised understanding" with the groom, allowing William to fulfill his role without any tension. 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 absence of Harry was not merely about his strained relationship with William. Meghan Markle's potential presence at such a high-profile event was also a point of contention. Seward noted, "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. Hers and Harry's presence would certainly have distracted from the bride and groom and even Meghan would know that would be the height of bad manners."
The rift between the brothers was further highlighted by their inability to attend the same event. Seward remarked, "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."
“In Harry's place, William had to guide guests as part of his usher duties, a task that in happier times would have involved playful teasing between the siblings,” Seward continued. “Now, any interaction between them would likely make headlines for the wrong reasons, underscoring the deep divisions that remain.”
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