With a royal wedding just around the corner, the Duke of Sussex has reportedly been left out in the cold, as his decision to quit the Firm continues to have consequences on his relationships with his family
A royal wedding is just around the corner, with Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips planning to tie the knot with NHS nurse Harriet Sperling in two weeks’ time. The couple announced their engagement last year, and as they began planning their nuptials, rumours started to swirl around which members of the Royal Family would get invited.
With many senior members of the Firm expected at the wedding – including King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales – it seems Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been left out in the cold, as it is believed they will not attend the Cirencester ceremony.
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And according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, there is one major reason why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been included in the guest list: to not draw attention away from the happy occasion.
Jennie told the Mirror : “Wedding guest lists are so often a nightmare! Who to include, who to leave out? Who will be offended? And the biggest no-no is to take attention away from the bride on her big day.
“That’s undoubtedly what would happen if Harry, with or without Meghan, came to Peter and Harriet’s wedding. So it seems they have taken the most sensible course, which is to leave the Sussex‘s off the guest list, along with uncle Andrew and his ex, Sarah.”
When Harry and Meghan quit their royal roles in 2020 and relocated to the United States, the Duke’s relationship with his family suffered gravely, as he has been estranged from his father and brother for several years.
And according to Jennie, it will likely be no surprise to Harry that he has not been invited to his cousin’s wedding given the strained family relationships, which would put a negative spin on the whole day.
“It’s clear that the rift between Harry and his father and brother has had repercussions throughout the whole family,” Jennie explained. “It’s an incredibly sensitive situation and all the rest of the family can really do is try not to cause further upset.
“I think Harry will understand, but he used to be close to his cousin, Peter, and it’s only natural that he will feel rather excluded on such a big occasion. Peter is closer in age to William and, since Harry‘s decision to leave the UK, they obviously see one another much more.”
With Harry and William still not on speaking terms, Jennie believes that Peter has remained loyal to the Prince of Wales throughout their rift, and the Duke of Sussex is likely to be left out of major family events involving his cousins while their rift remains unresolved.
Jennie said: “Peter is a very dependable, jovial guy and he has shown in the past that he can be a buffer between the warring brothers. But I think his loyalty now lies with William and I’m sure his friendship has been invaluable through the past few very difficult years.
“It’s a sad situation, but until or unless the rift is mended, Harry is likely to find himself left out of any big family gathering.”
