Royals At Harry's Wedding: Who's Coming?

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was invited to the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson. However, he politely declined the invitation, as his brother, Prince William, was also invited and would be serving as an usher. Prince Harry's decision was likely influenced by the desire to avoid any potential awkwardness or overshadowing of the couple's big day, as he has had a strained relationship with his brother in recent years. The wedding of the Duke of Westminster, a close friend of both princes and godfather to their children, was a highly anticipated society event, with around 400 guests, including other royals and some of Britain's wealthiest families.

Prince Harry's absence at the wedding

Prince Harry's decision to skip the wedding was likely influenced by the presence of his estranged brother, Prince William, who was an usher at the ceremony. Royal author Tom Quinn stated that Harry "hates the idea of completely losing touch with his old Etonian and army friends" but found it challenging to attend a wedding where his brother would be an usher. According to Quinn, this was "history repeating itself in the most painful way" for Harry.

Another reason for Harry's absence could be the security challenges he faces when travelling to the UK. Since stepping down from royal duties and relocating to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duke of Sussex no longer receives round-the-clock official police protection in his home country. Additionally, they can no longer use their former residence, Frogmore Cottage, as a base during stays in the UK.

The absence of Prince Harry and Meghan at the wedding was notable, especially since other members of the Royal Family, including Prince William, were in attendance. However, it is not the first time Harry has missed the wedding of a close friend. Previously, he was also absent from the wedding of Jack Mann and osteopath Isabella Clark in Suffolk.

Despite his absence, Prince Harry sent his "love and support and admiration" to the couple, according to a source close to the bride and groom.

Prince William's attendance

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, was the best man at his brother Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle.

The wedding, which took place on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, was a grand affair with 600 guests in attendance at the ceremony and over 2,000 others awaiting the couple on the castle grounds.

Prince William played a significant role in the wedding, accompanying the bride, Meghan Markle, down the aisle. This was a special moment, given that their father, King Charles III, served as the groom's father and not the traditional role of walking the bride down the aisle.

The Duke of Cambridge was also involved in the wedding preparations, with sources noting that he had taken on the role of helping guests find their places in the church's pews. This ensured a smooth and organised process for the high-profile event.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle united not only the couple but also brought together a host of distinguished guests, including royalty, celebrities, and prominent figures from various industries. It was a celebration filled with joy, love, and a strong sense of unity among the attendees.

The Duke of Westminster's royal connections

The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, is widely known to be a close friend of Prince William and Prince Harry. The families' connections go back generations. Hugh's late father, Gerald Grosvenor, was a confidante of King Charles and even asked him to be his son's godfather following Hugh's birth in 1990. Gerald's widow, Natalia, is a godmother to Prince William, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was chosen to be godmother to Gerald's second daughter, Lady Edwina Grosvenor. The two families have remained close over the years, with Hugh serving as a godfather to Prince Harry and Meghan's son, Archie, and Prince William and Kate's eldest son, Prince George.

The Grosvenor family has attended many royal gatherings, including William and Kate's wedding in 2011 and Harry and Meghan's nuptials in 2018. The late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the wedding of Gerald and Natalia's eldest daughter, Lady Tamara, in 2004. The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry also served as ushers at the wedding.

The Grosvenor family's connections to the British royals can be traced back to Queen Victoria's reign when she bestowed the title upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster, in 1874, making it the most recent dukedom conferred on someone not related to royalty.

The Duke of Westminster's wedding venue

The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, married Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral. The wedding was held on the 7th of June 2024 and was dubbed "the society wedding of the year". The bride wore a family heirloom tiara and the groom wore a uniform.

The Duke of Westminster is a godson of King Charles and his mother is a godmother to Prince William. The Duke is also the godfather of Prince Harry and Meghan's son, Archie, as well as Prince William and Kate's son, George.

The wedding venue, Chester Cathedral, is a historic and religious site located in northern England. The Cathedral is known for its impressive architecture and has been the site of several notable weddings, including that of the Duke of Westminster's sister, Lady Tamara Grosvenor, in 2004.

The atmosphere in the lead-up to the wedding was described as building, with thousands of people gathering in the streets to celebrate the occasion. The wedding was attended by prominent guests, including the groom's sisters, Lady Edwina and Lady Tamara, and their husbands, broadcaster Dan Snow and banker Edward van Cutsem.

The Duke of Westminster's ancestral seat is Eaton Hall, near Chester. The Grosvenor family has strong ties to the Windsors, and several members of the family attended Prince William and Kate's wedding in 2011.

The Duke of Westminster's family

The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, is a British aristocrat and businessman. He inherited his title and control of the Grosvenor Estate, then worth an estimated £9 billion, from his father in 2016. As such, Grosvenor is one of the wealthiest men in Britain. In 2023, Bloomberg estimated that he had a net worth of approximately £9.42 billion. He ranked 15th on the Sunday Times Rich List 2024 with an estimated fortune of £10.127 billion.

Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor was born on 29 January 1991 in London as the third child and only son of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Natalia (née Phillips). His baptism on 23 June 1991 was attended by Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III), who was named one of his godparents. He was styled as Earl Grosvenor from his birth until 2016, when his father died and he became the seventh Duke.

Through his mother, Westminster descends from the Russian Imperial House of Romanov, specifically from Nicholas I of Russia, and also from the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalia Nikolayevna Goncharova.

He was raised at Eaton Hall in Cheshire, the Grosvenor family seat with his three sisters: Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina, and Lady Viola. They attended a local public primary school. Afterwards, he attended the small, private Mostyn House School, followed by Ellesmere College in Shropshire. He later studied at Newcastle University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Countryside Management.

After graduating, Westminster worked in estate management at Wheatsheaf Group, a food and agriculture investment business based in the Eaton estate and owned by the Grosvenor Group. He then became an account manager at Bio-bean, a sustainability company that turns coffee waste into bioproducts, such as logs and biofuel.

Upon his father's death in August 2016, he inherited the titles and share in the fortune then estimated at £9 billion, with considerable trust funds for his sisters. This wealth is held in a trust of which the 7th Duke is a beneficial owner and chair of trustees but not the legal owner — an arrangement that received considerable media attention, owing to the inheritance tax exemption it confers. The Duke is Chair of Grosvenor Group, a real estate development and investment company with a portfolio of urban and rural properties in Europe, Asia and North America, and investments in food and agricultural technology companies. His land holdings include the 39,000-hectare Reay Forest Estate in Sutherland, Scotland.

The Duke was one of the peers carrying the Royal Standards at the 2023 coronation. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Cheshire on 9 June 2023.

Westminster is the chair of trustees of the Westminster Foundation, a charitable organization that focuses on helping vulnerable youth and their families by supporting local communities and educational e-spaces, and fighting inequality of opportunities.

He also continues to support the DNRC or the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre, an organization established by his father that helps wounded British military veterans.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Westminster donated £12.5 million to the national COVID relief effort and to support the NHS, and £1 million to the University of Oxford to fund research projects on mental health and psychology.

Westminster is a close friend of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex. He is the godfather of Prince George of Wales and Prince Archie of Sussex.

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