According to Royal author Sarah Prescott in the Daily Mail, Prince Harry is reportedly displeased with Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, for offering Prince William a significant role in his upcoming wedding.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Prescott claimed that Harry allegedly feels betrayed by Hugh for granting the Prince of Wales the role of an usher at the upcoming nuptials at Chester Cathedral. Details of the wedding remain under wraps as insiders have suggested that both the palace and Hugh's team have decided to keep the operational aspects of the wedding confidential, especially after news of Harry's absence from the guest list leaked to the media.
The Duke of Westminster is set to marry his longtime partner, Olivia Henson, next month. While the future King of England, Prince William, will be attending the ceremony, Harry is said to have declined the invitation due to multiple concerns. It was previously reported that Harry received a save-the-date card from Hugh, who is also Prince Archie's godfather, but he declined to attend to avoid an awkward encounter with the royal family. William's prominent role in the wedding reportedly triggered Harry's decision to decline the invitation. A well-informed source told the outlet that Harry was upset by the request, feeling that he should have been given the role instead.
According to Lady Colin Campbell, the Duke of Westminster did not invite Harry to his wedding because he knew William would not attend if Harry was present. Lady Campbell also mentioned that Hugh Grosvenor has ancestors who were an African slave and Jewish, adding to the complexity of the situation.
Speculation has also arisen over a possible rift between Prince Harry and his former close friend Hugh van Cutsem, who recently appeared on Jeremy Clarkson's show, Clarkson's Farm. The former Top Gear presenter caused controversy in 2022 with a scathing piece in The Sun, where he expressed his hatred for Meghan Markle in his controversial column. Clarkson went as far as to say he fantasized about Meghan being paraded naked through the streets, a comment that was later condemned as by the Press Watchdog. Harry and Meghan condemned the piece, which The Sun subsequently pulled, accusing it of fueling hate rhetoric, dangerous conspiracy theories, and misogyny.
Despite this, Hugh van Cutsem, a lifelong friend to both Harry and Prince William, appeared on Clarkson's hit Amazon Prime series Clarkson's Farm. Van Cutsem was featured hunting deer with Clarkson in the seventh episode, hinting that he may be the latest in Harry's circle to part ways with the Sussexes. Hugh's father, who shares the same name, was a longtime friend of King Charles from their days at the University of Cambridge in the 1960s. Following suit, their children struck up a friendly bond, evidenced when William played a role in Hugh's 2005 wedding as a senior usher and accepted the godfather role for Grace, the child of Hugh and Rose Astor, reports the Mirror. Notably, Grace served as a bridesmaid at the celebrated 2011 wedding of William and Catherine.
When actress Meghan moved to the UK in 2017, the van Cutsem family extended their warmth to her and attended the Sussexes' 2018 nuptials. However, the smooth sailing friendship hit a rough patch two years later when Rose found herself tangled in a controversy after she poked fun at Harry and Meghan's decision to step down from royal duties with a tongue-in-cheek social media post: "I'm standing back as a senior member of my tax return because I'd rather drink coffee, see my friends, love my family, and do yoga." Eventually, she offered an apology and added a cryptic statement, "I can't say anything. I'm sure you understand. I'm going to be in so much trouble."
