05 December 2023 , 11:35
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have been excluded from a pal's upcoming wedding after a royal row almost overshadowed his own sister's big day.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly been left off the guestlist for the nuptials of the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, and long-term girlfriend Olivia Henson - who are set to tie the knot in June at Chester Cathedral in the society wedding of the year.
It is believed that King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales will be invited to the wedding. Hugh is a close friend of the royals and is godfather to Prince George as well as Prince Archie - and it seems he has decided to avoid inviting the Sussexes "to avoid a family clash in the House of Windsor".
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (AFP via Getty Images)According to the Daily Mail, the Duke made the "incredibly sad" decision not to invite Harry and Meghan after being "very conscious" of how another royal row almost erupted surrounding the guestlist for the wedding of his older sister Lady Tamara Grosvenor and husband Edward van Cutsem at the same venue in 2004.
At that wedding, the late Queen was invited, as was the then Prince Charles and Camilla, although it was before the pair married. It was reported that Camilla's invitation came with the stipulation she could not sit next to Charles or arrive with him, due to the late Queen and Prince Philip also attending.
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This is said to have left Camilla furious and in the end neither she nor Charles attended, with the future King believed not to have been happy about how his now-wife was being treated. And now a family friend of the Duke of Westminster told the Mail: "Hugh knows how sensitive wedding invitations can be."
Prince William with Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster (second left) (Getty Images)Hugh became the 7th Duke of Westminster when his father sadly died from a heart attack at the age of 64 in 2016. At the time of his succession, he inherited an estimated wealth of £9billion and gained several new estates. He became the head of The Grosvenor Group, which means he owns several huge areas of London, as well as land and over 1,500 buildings all across the world. In London, the group owns Park Lane, half of Mayfair and 300 acres of Belgravia. Earlier this year, he was named the wealthiest person in the UK under the age of 35. He is also the 11th richest person in the UK overall, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2023.
He is a close childhood friend of both William and Harry and his father was a good friend of King Charles'. Back in April, it was announced that Hugh had become engaged to his girlfriend of two years Olivia Henson. The couple said in a statement: "The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson are delighted to announce they are engaged to be married.
"The couple, who have been together for two years, recently became engaged at the Duke's family home at Eaton Hall in Cheshire. Members of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news."