Prince Harry and his wife have been snubbed from the upcoming royal wedding (Image: Getty)
A royal expert has revealed Prince Harry’s true feelings about being snubbed from the guest list at his cousin’s upcoming wedding. Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, is planning to tie the knot with NHS nurse Harriet Sperling in just two weeks’ time, with the pair announcing their engagement last year. Since then, rumours have swirled over which royal family members would be in attendance, with many speculating whether Harry and Meghan would make an appearance.
It has since transpired that the Duke of Sussex and his wife, who stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020, will not be at the wedding. King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected at the ceremony, as are the Prince and Princess of Wales. The couple have not spent much time in the UK since their explosive royal exit six years ago, and they now live in California with their two children.
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Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror that there is one major reason that Harry and Meghan were not on the invite list. “Wedding guest lists are so often a nightmare! Who to include, who to leave out?” she said.
“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 Sussexes off the guest list, along with uncle Andrew and his ex, Sarah.”
Harry’s relationship with his family is rather strained nowadays, and it is understood that he is not on speaking terms with his brother, Prince William.
Peter Phillips will get married in two weeks’ time (Image: Getty)
“It’s clear that the rift between Harry and his father and brother has had repercussions throughout the whole family,” Jennie added. “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.”
Jennie believes that Peter has remained loyal to the Prince of Wales amid the rift with his younger brother. She added: “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,” she concluded.
A separate royal insider has predicted that William will take a much harsher approach to Harry and Meghan than that of King Charles III. “William will take a much harder line with Harry and Meghan when he’s king,” the insider told the Daily Mail.
However, the insider did not detail exactly what this will mean. The King has allowed Harry and Meghan to keep their Duke and Duchess titles, and the pair are believed to use their HRH titles in a private capacity.