Prince William was noticeably unattended on Friday when the Prince of Wales attended a wedding at Chester Cathedral in Chester, England.
The father-of-three was seen in his formal coat and tails as he headed alone to church for the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson.
William served as usher for the ceremony and was not accompanied by his wife, Kate Middletonwho is currently battling cancer and has not made public appearances since December 2023.
Another notable absence during the high society wedding was that of William’s younger brother, Prince Harry. According to The telegraph“an understanding” was reached between Harry and the groom, who is Harry’s best man and Meghan Markleson, Prince Archie. The outlet reports that Harry was told he should stay away from the festivities. Grosvenor is also godfather to William and Kate’s eldest son, Prince George. According to The telegraphGrosvenor is one of William and Harry’s few remaining mutual friends amid their feud.
Around 400 guests attended the nuptials on Friday, including William and Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenia.
According to reporters, William arrived at the event in a Mercedes van with 10 other ushers, but did not stop to greet the crowd that gathered in front of the cathedral.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl previously told ET that both brothers were invited to the wedding, but that Harry “very diplomatically declined the invitation”.
Nicholl explained that Grosvenor “was in a very difficult position when it came to invitations and, of course, seating plans and all that”.
One element of the awkwardness was William’s role as hostess, which involves helping guests to their seats.
“William will be the usher and that part of that role will be showing the other guests to their seats, so you can only imagine how strange it would be if Harry and Megan showed up, and it was William showing them to their seats. “, Nicholl reflected. “But he won’t have to get involved in any awkward encounters. He will know many of the people there… William will feel very at home and, I’m sure, will consider it a great honor to be asked to be a doorman. It’s a privilege.
Harry’s decision to back out of his friend’s wedding only highlights the ongoing tension between Harry’s children. King Charles III and the late Princess Diana.
“Relations between the Sussexes and Wales remain at an all-time low,” Nicholl said. “I was told that William and Harry don’t even speak to each other.”
Harry has been away from several members from his family since his and Meghan’s decision in 2020 to move to California and step down from their roles as senior members of the royal family. Since then, Harry and Meghan have publicly shared their negative experiences within the royal family on a variety of platforms, including a revealing interview with Oprah Winfreya Netflix docuseries titled Harry and MeghanIt is Harry’s Memoirs 2023, Save.
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