Royal news – live: William acts as usher at Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor's wedding as Harry stays away

Prince Harry will miss his close friend's nuptials on Friday while his brother, Prince William, acts as usher.

The Duke of Westminster will marry his fiancée Olivia Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral on Friday in what is being billed as the society wedding of the year.

Hugh Grosvenor, 33, has long had close associations with the monarchy and is godfather to William and Kate's eldest son, Prince George, 10, and Harry's son Archie, five.

However, only one of the royal brothers will attend the celebrations amid continuing tensions between the couple.

A source close to Harry said People magazine who decided not to attend the wedding after recognizing the difficulties that his presence would entail.

After months of speculation, sources close to the Duke of Sussex said. People magazine that he had spoken privately with his old friend, the Duke of Westminster, about the challenges of his attendance before they reached a mutual decision.

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The title of Duke of Westminster is historically significant as it is the most recent title granted to a person who is not a direct descendant of the royal family, although it is worth noting that Grosvenor's mother is a direct descendant of George II.

The dukedom was given to Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster, by Queen Victoria in 1847, making the current Hugh Grosvenor the 7th Duke of Westminster.

The Duke inherited his title and Grosvenor Estate in 2016 following the death of his father, Gerald Grosvenor, at the age of 64. At the time, the then 6th Duke of Westminster was the richest landowner in the United Kingdom.

Now his son owns the more than 300-acre Grosvenor estate, made up of some of London's most attractive neighborhoods, including Mayfair and Belgravia.

King Charles is Hugh's godfather and was present at his baptism in 1991. Meanwhile, Prince William holds the duke in such high regard that he named him godfather to Prince George in 2013.

Grosvenor is also a close friend of Prince Harry, who was Duke Archie's godfather.

Since they stopped being royals in 2020, the Sussexes have been stripped of 24-hour protection and must apply to the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office in advance.

They can no longer use their former home in Windsor, Frogmore Cottage, although Harry was offered a place to stay in a royal residence during his trip to London last month.

The couple have had a strained relationship with their royal relatives since a series of explosive interviews and Harry's memoir, Spare, which detailed the tension between him, William and their father, the King.

Despite the awkwardness, the duke, known to those close to him as Hughie, is one of the few friends who has maintained a close relationship with both brothers.

Grosvenor, once described as Britain's most eligible bachelor, met his new wife through friends and they announced their engagement in 2023.

Since inheriting the Grosvenor Estate in 2016, following the sudden death at the age of 64 of his father, Gerald Grosvenor, his estate has been the subject of much scrutiny.

Estimated to be worth around £10.127 billion, he owns around half of Mayfair and is officially the UK's richest man under 40.

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