It was a packed day of royal engagements that kept the King from meeting Prince Harry during his whistle-stop visit to the UK.

Now I can reveal that one of the items of business which kept the monarch from seeing his son was rewarding the senior peer who masterminded both his Coronation and his mother’s funeral.

Eyebrows had been raised when the Duke of Norfolk was apparently overlooked in the New Year Honours, given his pivotal role in making both occasions such successes.

But on May 7, at a private meeting in Buckingham Palace, the King presented him with a silver gilt Coronation Cup, continuing a 300-year tradition.

The 18th Duke tells me the gift has taken pride of place on the mantelpiece in his medieval family home, Arundel Castle in West Sussex.

+25
View gallery

Eyebrows had been raised when the Duke of Norfolk (pictured) was apparently overlooked in the New Year Honours

+25
View gallery

The presentation was one of several meetings Charles had on the day Harry landed in London

‘After the Coronation, the King wrote a wonderful letter saying thank you, adding that a gift would be on its way,’ the Duke, 67, revealed. ‘I am absolutely delighted with the Coronation Cup.’

Monarchs have gifted gilded cups to their Earls Marshal – holders of the hereditary office responsible for major ceremonial state occasions – since George II’s Coronation in 1727, overseen by the 8th Duke of Norfolk.

George III, George IV, William IV, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II continued the tradition.

But all seven cups were stolen in 2021, when a burglar broke into Arundel Castle with a hammer and grabbed £1 million worth of antiques. No one has ever been convicted and police believe it unlikely the items will ever be found.

The presentation was one of several meetings Charles had on the day Harry landed in London.

The next day, while his son was at St Paul’s Cathedral, the King held a garden party and several meetings including with the Prime Minister and, reportedly, David Beckham.

+25
View gallery

On May 7, at a private meeting in Buckingham Palace, the King presented the Duke of Norfolk with a silver gilt Coronation Cup

Prince William is set to be an usher at the Duke of Westminster’s ‘society wedding of the year’ – but King Charles won’t attend amid rumours of tension over past Queen Camilla ‘snub’… and Harry isn’t even invited

By Charlotte Griffiths and Nathan Kay and Cameron Roy

Prince William is set to be an usher at his friend the Duke of Westminster’s wedding but King Charles won’t attend amid rumours of tension over a past Queen Camilla ‘snub’.

Prince Harry is also expected to miss the event over worries his attendance may cause family awkwardness which could overshadow his friend Hugh Grosvenor, and his bride-to-be, Olivia Henson’s big day on June 7.

The King and Queen will miss the ‘society wedding of the year’, over claims they have not forgotten about what happened at the 2004 wedding of Hugh’s sister.

They turned down their invitations at the time to Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Edward van Cutsem’s wedding, which was held at the same venue as the duke’s upcoming wedding: Chester Cathedral.

Camilla Parker Bowles, as she was then, had been told that she would not be allowed to sit with Prince Charles and would instead be seated several rows back and be made to arrive separately.

This was because of royal protocol since Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the ceremony, along with Princes William and Harry.

+25
View gallery

Prince William is set to be an usher at the society wedding of the year when his close friend the Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor gets married to Olivia Henson next month. Pictured: The couple’s official photo released to mark their engagement

+25
View gallery

Prince William will be among the groom’s party, but the Princess of Wales, who is receiving cancer treatment, is not expected to attend

+25
View gallery

Prince Harry is not on the guest list for his friend’s marriage to ‘avoid any royal tensions overshadowing the big day’. Neither he nor his wife Meghan Markle will attend, despite Grosvenor being so close to Harry that he is a godfather to the couple’s five-year-old son Prince Archie

+25
View gallery

The wedding of Lady Tamara Grosvenor, and Edward van Cutsem. The King and Queen chose to turn down their invitations to the 2004 wedding

Tensions were heightened by reports that Emilie van Cutsem, the groom’s mother, and Camilla had fallen out after each is alleged to have criticised the behaviour of the other’s children.

Charles ultimately excused himself from the event with just days to go, saying he had to visit Warminster barracks to meet the families of soldiers serving in Iraq. Camilla was described as ‘otherwise engaged’.

According to royal author Sarah Bradford, Camilla was so infuriated that she told Charles the status quo was no longer acceptable. Their own engagement was announced three months later.

The King, who is Grosvenor’s godfather, is still undergoing cancer treatment and will be travelling to France the day before the ceremony next month with the Queen and Prince William to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Another aspect of the upcoming wedding that has been the talk of the town for months is why Prince Harry may have turned down an invitation from his old friend.

Now friends of the Royal Family think they have solved the mystery, claiming that Prince Harry refused to attend when he discovered his brother William had been given a prominent role.

Tonight the Sunday Times reported that the Prince of Wales will be an usher at the duke’s wedding to Olivia Henson.

The Mail on Sunday understands that his son Prince George is set have a prominent role too, as he is the duke’s godson. The attendance of King Charles, who is the duke’s godfather, is yet to be officially confirmed or denied.

+25
View gallery

King Charles and Queen Camilla are not expected to attend the wedding

+25
View gallery

Chester Cathedral where the duke’s wedding is set to take place next month

+25
View gallery

After the wedding service at Chester Cathedral, guests will then enjoy a grand reception at nearby Eaton Hall (pictured)

+25
View gallery

Prince Harry and Prince William at the wedding of Edward van Cutsem and their friend’s sister Lady Tamara Grosvenor at Chester Cathedral in 2004

+25
View gallery

Harry and Meghan have already been excluded from next month’s wedding. Hugh is believed to have felt the Sussexes’ appearance could cause tensions with the Royal Family

+25
View gallery

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their elder son, Prince George, who is Hugh’s godson, are invited to the wedding. However, Catherine is not expected to attend because she is undergoing cancer treatment

+25
View gallery

Olivia and Hugh announced their engagement on April 23, 2023, after two years of dating. Pictured vising charities in Chester earlier this month

+25
View gallery

The late Queen is pictured with the late Duke of Westminster Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, who died suddenly in 2016

+25
View gallery

Pictured: Harry and Meghan with Archie in 2019

+25
View gallery

The releationship between Harry and William is understood to be under strain in recent years. Pictured: The brothers in 2021 at an unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana

+25
View gallery

Prince William, pictured with Grosvenor in 2004, was at one point in the running to be the Duke’s best man

Friends of King Charles use late Queen’s famous ‘recollections may vary’ phrase as they raise eyebrows over claims monarch ‘refused to find space in his diary’ to see Prince Harry while in the UK

It was the phrase famously used by the late Queen when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle criticised the royals in their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.

Now, the words ‘recollections may vary’ have returned three years later, with a friend of King Charles III using it to deny claims that he ‘refused to find space in his diary’ to see his son Harry during the estranged royal’s three-day visit to Britain last week.

A war of words has now broken out among sources close to Charles and Harry over what actually happened, after the Duke of Sussex flew into London for three days of events related to the Invictus Games including a service at St Paul’s Cathedral.

In the days before Harry’s visit, he was reported to have been keen to see his father – with sources close to the Duke insisting he had asked for the meeting in advance.

But those close to the King suggested the monarch did not know of this request or an invitation to the service, which Harry is said to have extended to senior royals.

Known as ‘Huey’ to friends, the 33-year-old duke is one of very few to remain close friends with both William and Harry.

Friends have suggested the Prince of Wales was first asked in December to be an usher at the wedding at Chester Cathedral next month. At one stage, he was even said to have been earmarked as a best man.

Harry was said to have been ‘put out’ by the news because he had always regarded himself as being closer to the duke – who is also godfather to the Sussexes’ first-born, Prince Archie.

Last night, a well-informed source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘William was asked to have a prominent role in the wedding and that’s what triggered Harry to decline an invitation. Apparently he [Harry] was put out by the request when he thought it should have been him.’

Referencing the lack of public details about the occasion, the source added: ‘Both the Palace and Hugh’s people decided to hold dear the operational part of the wedding once the leak about Harry not attending made the papers.’

Last year, it was claimed that Prince Harry had been ‘snubbed’ from the wedding, but a source close to the Sussexes was at pains to explain to US publication Page Six that both Meghan and Harry had in fact received invitations, but had jointly decided to decline.

Neither Harry nor his wife Meghan Markle will attend the wedding, which is expected to have 400 guests, despite Grosvenor being so close to Harry that he is a godfather to the couple’s five-year-old son Prince Archie.

Prince William will be among the groom’s party, but the Princess of Wales, who is receiving cancer treatment, is not expected to attend.

Grosvenor, known as ‘Hughie’ to his friends, and Henson, were introduced by mutual friends in 2021.

The couple have insisted on a ‘strictly no-gifts policy’ for their guests, according to The Sunday Times.

The Duke inherited his £9.3billion fortune when his father Gerald Grosvenor suffered a sudden heart attack while out on a country walk and died aged 64 in 2016.

+25
View gallery

Prince William (R) is greeted by General Timothy Granville-Chapman (2R), Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster (2L) and John Peace (L) as he arrives to attend the official handover of the newly built Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre

+25
View gallery

A close friend of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Westminster is godfather to his eldest son Prince George (Grosvenor pictured  in 2018 second from left with then PM Theresa May, far left, Bahrain’s Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, second from right, and Prince William, far right)

+25
View gallery

Once dubbed Britain’s most eligible bachelor, Hugh was educated at £6,000-a-term day school Ellesmere College in Shropshire

+25
View gallery

The Duke of Westminster and his fiancée had a busy start to the month as they carried out a very regal string of engagements in Chester, where they are due to exchange vows this summer

Images from earlier this month showed the couple (left) being mirror images of William and Kate (pictured right in 2022), who are crowd-favourites when it comes to public engagements

He inherited 300 acres across the affluent London areas of Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as estates in Oxford, Scotland and properties around the globe. This includes his current residence at Eaton Hall, the 10,872-acre family estate.

After the wedding service at Chester Cathedral, guests will then enjoy a grand reception at nearby Eaton Hall.

The following day they will host a second, smaller reception at Eaton Hall for close family and friends, but further details of both receptions are being kept secret.

Sustainability will be a key feature of the wedding, with all food, flowers and products used for the wedding locally sourced where possible.

The following day they will host a second, smaller reception at Eaton Hall for close family and friends, but further details of both receptions are being kept secret.

The city of Chester is also bracing itself for the celebrations, with thousands of people expected to line the streets.

Some shops, restaurants and cafés near the cathedral will be closed on the day for access and security.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace said the Prince of Wales is attending the wedding in a private capacity, and said it does not comment on events during his private time.

A representative for Prince Harry was also contacted for comment.

Earlier this month, the engaged couple visited several local charities in Chester helped by the Westminster Foundation – showcasing their charisma and drawing comparisons from the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Grosvenor, who is known to be publicity-shy and has always maintained a low profile despite his extreme wealth, is known to be ‘incredibly excited’ but ‘nervous’ about the wedding.

Olivia and Hugh announced their engagement on April 23, 2023, after two years of dating.

+25
View gallery

Hugh Grosvenor attends the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle with Charlie van Straubenzee at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018

+25
View gallery

A life-long friend for each of the brothers, Hugh Grosvenor is thought to be the only pal both chose to mentor their children. Pictured: At the wedding of Harry’s school friend Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks in 2018

+25
View gallery

Grosvenor, who is thought to own more land than the King, has an estimated net worth of £9.42 billion and has a long history with the royal family – with his late father Gerald acting as King Charles’ own godfather. Pictured: With his mother in 2018

Raised at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, Hugh Grosvenor was privately educated at Ellesmere College before obtaining a BSc in Countryside Management from Newcastle University.

After his graduation, Grosvenor worked in estate management at the food and agriculture company Wheatsheaf Group, an investment business based in the Eaton estate and owned by the Grosvenor Group.

Afterwards, he held an account manager position at sustainability company bio-bean, which turns coffee-related waste into bioproducts such as biofuels and logs.

The future Duchess of Westminster also comes from a wealthy background. Olivia descends from the Hoare banking family as well as the Marquesses of Bristol and the Dukes of Rutland, according to the Telegraph.

The outlet also says her uncle is the Grand Master of Scottish freemasons and her father is stockbroker Rupert Henson.

Read More

Who is Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster?

Olivia reportedly also has a 29-year-old brother who works in asset management and a 26-year-old sister who’s in a brand relationships role.

She is also said to speak Spanish and Italian after completing a Hispanic Studies and Italian degree at Trinity College in Dublin.

Much like the Princess of Wales, Olivia is understood to have attended the elite Marlborough College, and before that was at the equally revered Dragon School in Oxford along with fellow alum Emma Watson.

She worked at Daily Dose LDN and No1 Rosemary Water before landing a role at Belazu – a B Corp ingredients brand – where she is currently a Key Account Manager, in 2019.

Close friends with the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke is the youngest of Prince George’s godparents.

He has previously represented the country at Olympic Skeet Shooting competitions both internationally and in the UK.

Hugh previously dated property and recruitment consultant Harriet Tomlinson, but the couple, who met at £6,000-a-term day school Ellesmere College in Shropshire, split in 2020.

The Duke also supports the rehabilitation of wounded or injured members of the Armed Forces and donated £2.5million to the Health Service when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, but said he was so ‘humbled’ by the work of doctors and nurses he wanted to give another £10million.