Heartbreak and Rejection: Prince Harry’s Struggle to Reconnect with Ailing Father King Charles III

 

It took Prince Harry a long time to come to terms with his mother Princess Diana’s unexpected death. In his candid memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex talked about his struggles following tragic events.

 

In an exclusive interview with his friend, the British journalist Tom Bradby, for ITV in January 2023, he disclosed that he had dreams in which he called out his mother’s name.

As per The UK Mirror, the Duke revealed how his mother’s death caused him to lose memories. “I lost a lot of memories. on the other side of this mental wall, which I think is so relatable for so many people who’ve experienced loss, especially as a youngster, that inability to be able to drag the memories back over,” he shared.

“I think a lot of it was a defense mechanism.” Prince Harry, who claimed to have PTSD, alleged he frequently saw his mother in dreams. “I mean, like, you talk about seeing her in your dreams and saying, “‘Mummy, Mummy, is that you?’” He recalled, “I refer to it as post-traumatic stress injury because I’m not a person with a disorder. I know I’m not.”

 

“I mean, it, it, it’s a haunting description of really, post-traumatic stress disorder really, isn’t it?” Bradby then asked the Duke, “I mean, that’s what, that’s what the whole early part of this book is.”

As per ETOnline, Prince Harry stated that he still feels the need to ‘find answers’ to his mother’s death. “There’s a lot of things that are unexplained. I’ve been asked before whether I want to open up another inquiry. I don’t really see the point at this stage,” he said.

NEW: Prince Harry shares how he talks to Archie about ‘Grandma Diana’ and shares how he feels his mother’s presence: “It’s constant. It has been over the last two years. More so than ever before.” pic.twitter.com/NCeGtoZuVZ

 

“But I think anyone who knows — again, this is the most amazing thing that, of over the last, what, five years, especially the last two years, the amount of people that I’ve met here in America, everyone knows where they were and what they were doing the night my mother died. And I never thought about that at all.”

Prince Harry said he found it “very strange” that following his mother’s passing, he and his brother, Prince William, went about Kensington Palace in the company of mourners feeling some ‘guilt’. “Everyone thought and felt like they knew our mum. And the two closest people to her, the two most-loved people by her, were unable to show any emotion in that moment,” he shared.

Prince Harry finds King Charles’ rejection ‘particularly painful’ as ‘everyone knows real reason’

 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been accused of going ‘rogue’ after carrying out an unofficial Royal tour in Nigeria over the weekend, which has reportedly left King Charles and Prince William ‘furious’

 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s recent tour of Nigeria has reportedly left King Charles “angrier than anyone has ever seen him, a Royal expert has claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in the African nation over the weekend to promote the Invictus Games, but their trip has been met with criticism, with some labelling it an unofficial Royal tour.

Royal author and commentator Tom Quinn spoke exclusively to The Mirror, revealing: “William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in future. Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him.

“What’s really upset the applecart is the fact that the Nigerians treated Meghan and Harry as if they too thought this was an official tour – all the signs were there as the couple were greeted with dances, receptions, visits to schools and charities.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex infamously quit as working royals in 2020 and Harry was stripped of several royal roles.

 

The Royal author suggested that there had been concerns within the Royal Family that Meghan and Harry “would try to pull a fast one” and feels the Nigeria trip “has confirmed their worst fears.”

He added: “It’s as if Harry and Meghan have gone rogue – their Nigeria trip is a bold statement that they refuse to accept they are no longer working royals. William and Charles are scratching their heads and thinking, ‘How are we going to control this nightmare situation?’”

Reflecting on Meghan and Harry’s trip, Mr Quinn argued that it’s “easy to see why the senior royals are worried”. Mr Quinn explained that the Nigeria jaunt could be argued to have been designed to give the impression Harry and Meghan were still working royals

Meghan Markle on next mission after Prince William, King Charles determination to stop her

 

King Charles appears to be fuming over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s supposed royal takeover.

 

After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Nigeria earlier last month in a ‘royal-like’ tour for a future Invictus Games, the monarch is said to be “angrier than anyone has ever seen him,” according to royal author Tom Quinn. However, what really infuriated that King was that Harry and Meghan were actually treated like royalty at the visit, Quinn explained to The Mirror.

“What’s really upset the applecart is the fact that the Nigerians treated Meghan and Harry as if they too thought this was an official tour – all the signs were there as the couple were greeted with dances, receptions, visits to schools and charities,” he told the outlet. Quinn also added that Prince William is furious with the tour as it “confirmed the worst fears” to him and his father.

“It’s as if Harry and Meghan have gone rogue – their Nigeria trip is a bold statement that they refuse to accept they are no longer working royals,” Quinn continued. He also alluded that the royals appear to be struggling to damage control. “William and Charles are scratching their heads and thinking, ‘How are we going to control this nightmare situation?’” he surmised.

‘He hated it!’ Prince Harry blasted for standing ‘frozen’ during British national anthem

 

When Meghan Markle ditched her role as Rachel Zane on legal drama Suits to become the Duchess of Sussex and tie the knot with Prince Harry, she had to cut out a lot of her co-stars

 

Meghan Markle’s Suits co-stars have had plenty to say about the Duchess of Sussex since she left behind her role as Rachel Zane in 2018 to become a member of the royal family.

Meghan tied the knot with Prince Harry that year, with plenty of her co-stars invited to the extravagant wedding the pair held in London. Even George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey jetted across from the States to attend. But now plenty of Meghan’s former colleagues say they don’t speak to her anymore.

But plenty have been quick to defend Meghan against cruel trolls and criticism in the media, with Patrick J. Adams –– who played her on-screen boyfriend Mike Ross in Suits – branding her an “enthusiastic, kind, co-operative, giving, joyful and supportive” member of the cast.

 

Meghan’s co-star Gina Torres, who played Jessica Pearson in Suits, confessed that she is no longer in touch with Meghan – because their lives took on “such different trajectories”. She told Glamour: “There are people you have immediate and incredible chemistry with that you align with throughout the years, that are sustainable relationships.”

But out of “hundreds of people” she’s met across her career, she can’t remain in contact with everyone, although she “enjoyed” working with Meghan and they had a “great time” together. But she admitted the pair were in “very different places” in their lives, and don’t communicate any longer.

HARRY and Meghan have surprised the family of a teacher killed in the Uvalde school shooting – providing flowers ans cakes before singing Happy Birthday.

The Sussexes visited the family of Irma Garcia, who was killed in the 2022 shooting at Robb elementary school in the Texan town.

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Meghan and Harry in Uvalde

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The couple met the family of Irma Garcia

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Garcia’s family said Meghan and Harry were ‘loving and supportive’
Garcia, 48, was one of two teachers killed alongside 19 children by shooter Salvador Ramos.

Posting on Twitter, Garcia’s nephew John Martinez said: “Meghan Markle and Prince Harry came to my house!

“They’re such a beautiful couple and I’m so blessed – so glad they came to check up on the family.

“Can’t believe how loving and supportive they are especially to my amazing cousins.

“What a great experience to be a part of.

“Meghan Markle singing my mom Happy Birthday was the cutest, most adorable thing ever – she even bought her a cake.”

The Sussexes’ visit to Uvalde comes after parents were left furious by an official probe into the shooting.

Local cops waited outside the school for more than an hour during the slaughter – even though children inside had called 911 begging for help.

But a new report by city officials defended the botched police response – blaming victims’ families for holding cops up.

Some grieving families stormed out in anger while the report was presented yesterday.

Among those present was Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was among those killed in the attack.

She said: “You said they did it in good faith. You call that good faith?

“They stood there for 77 minutes.”

Meghan Markle has long been a supporter of Uvalde victims – laying flowers at a memorial two days after the horrific shooting in 2022.

It comes after Meghan joined a star panel at a Texas arts festival to give a keynote speech for International Women’s Day on Friday.

Meghan revealed she was cyber bullied when pregnant with Archie & Lilibet while a supportive Harry watched from the front row.

The duchess also lauded Harry a “hands-on dad” and “incredible partner” during the panel discussion.

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The family posted about the visit on social mediaCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk

Of all the things Claire van Straubenzee might have wished for today, I’m sure chief among them was not an MBE.

Of course she’s likely deeply grateful for the honour recognising her services to children’s education in Uganda but she’d doubtless give it away in a heartbeat to spend just one more day with Henry, the son she lost in a car crash in December 2002.

You have to wonder if this sad irony is not lost on Mrs Straubenzee or on her dear friend King Charles.

After all, he is – according to Prince Harry’s spokesman yesterday – a father too busy to see his son, while she is a mother who will never see hers again.

It’s with that dreadful loss in mind that Charles should meet with Harry, quietly and privately, because as the van Straubenzee family shows, you never know when you might lose a child. Or, indeed, anyone you love.

It’s not as if the monarch can’t join the dots. Both baby boys were christened Henry and they were childhood best friends. According to the Duke of Sussex‘s memoir Spare, Henry ‘Henners’ Straubenzee was the only boy who asked him about his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, after she was killed.

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Charles should meet with Harry quietly and privately, because as the van Straubenzee family shows, you never know when you might lose a child, writes ANGELA MOLLARD. Above: The King and Queen Camilla in in front of Harry and Meghan at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

Claire Straubenzee (pictured above with her husband Alex) is likely deeply grateful for an MBE recognising her services to children’s education in Uganda but she’d doubtless give it away in a heartbeat to spend just one more day with Henry (right), the son she lost in a car crash in December 2002

How heartbreaking that just five years after her death, the then 18-year-old died in equally horrible circumstances in a car crash near Ludgrove Prep, his and Harry’s former school.

It was in her son’s honour that Mrs Straubenzee worked so tirelessly to give other children a meaningful life even if it was one denied her beloved middle son.

Knowing this, I’m astounded the monarch isn’t meeting with his own son, even briefly. Our children’s safety is never guaranteed and having been diagnosed with cancer I would’ve thought the King might have had cause to consider the fragility of our existence. Thoughts of mortality typically lead families to at least attempt to heal wounds.

If ever there was a moment to tentatively extend an olive branch, it is this. A meeting with Harry could’ve been both a kindness and a test: the former because parenting is an act of unconditional love; the latter because Harry, quite rightfully, needs to earn back his family’s trust.

How simple, how soldering, it might’ve been if the pair had enjoyed a pot of tea and a short chat about his grandchildren without any of us knowing. After all, any reconciliation could only occur via small steps and a commitment from Harry not to blab about it.

Instead, are we left to believe that this is it? That the relationship is beyond repair? That there will be no reconciliation or certainly not until the Duke of Sussex has been made to consider more deeply, and for a longer period, the consequence of his actions?

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Charles is – according to Prince Harry’s spokesman yesterday – a father too busy to see his son. Above: Harry greeting his father alongside Prince William at the 10th anniversary memorial service for their mother Princess Diana in 2007

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Charles and Harry happy to be in each other’s company at the premiere of ‘Our Planet’ at the Natural History Museum in 2019

Fair enough, Harry’s behaviour and his betrayal of the royal family has been monstrous. His criticism of Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales particularly so. But we never know how long we have to make amends. We only ever have right now.

Instead, right now, even though Harry is just two miles from his father’s home, there is no invitation. The monarch is hosting a garden party at Buckingham Palace and his son, whether in an act of clarification or self-pity, has announced he will not be seeing his father.

As a spokesperson for the Duke said: ‘In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.’

Then lest this ‘unfortunate’ situation be seen as a dig, the spokesperson continued: ‘The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.’

Prince William, who earlier today conferred the Member of the Order of British Empire (MBE) on Mrs Straubenzee at Windsor Castle, has every right not to want to see his brother. His wife’s health is paramount and even the slightest stress is not something he would wish to invite into his family.

But parental love is different. It demands that we forgive. It demands that we are the bigger person. It demands an examination of the reasons for Harry’s anger and a recognition that, as parents, we can injure our children in ways we fail to understand until years later. Harry has used both books and preferred media factions to get back at members of his family but didn’t both his parents do likewise? In any case, as parents tell their children from toddlerhood: ‘I love you, even if I don’t like your behaviour.

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Prince Harry seen yesterday leaving the Honourable Artillery Company in central London after attending an Invictus event before the thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral today

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King Charles with his son at the Committal service  for the late Queen at St George’s Chapel, Windsor in September 2022

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Prince William and Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle

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Prince Harry hugging Claire van Straubenzee whilst Prince William looks on as both boys launched the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund in 2008

I’m certain the late Queen would’ve seen Harry if she was still alive. She wouldn’t necessarily have been effusive or enquiring and he may have found himself getting shorter shrift than some of her Prime Ministers. But in the same manner she continued to love and support Prince Andrew, she would’ve kept the door open to her grandson.

Busy or not, this was an ideal opportunity for the King to see Harry. The Duke is here without his wife and he is celebrating 10 years of the Invictus Games which in anybody’s eyes is a meaningful and moral triumph.

Just like Claire van Straubenzee, the competitors in those games know that life can change in an ordinary instant. It’s in their honour and in the memory of a teenage boy who was ‘all heart’, according to Prince Harry, that the monarch should find a moment for his son.

‘The Crown’ star tells PEOPLE she studied up to delicately depict the Princess of Wales

Queen Elizabeth in December 2021; Elizabeth Debicki at The Crown’s Los Angeles premiere on November 12; Princess Diana in June 1997. . PHOTO: VICTORIA JONES – POOL/GETTY; ROBIN L MARSHALL/WIREIMAGE; TIM GRAHAM PHOTO LIBRARY VIA GETTY

Elizabeth Debicki takes her final bow as Princess Diana in season 6 of The Crown, concluding the series a year after Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Speaking to PEOPLE ahead of the show’s season 6, part 1 premiere on Thursday, Debicki, 33, says that Netflix’s hit drama inspired by the lives of the British royals drew a new “empathy” for the family since its debut in 2016.

“It’s been a long journey people have had with the show, and I think it’s one of the beautiful things The Crown has been able to do, is open up in this imaginary way, the very private lives of these public figures and create this huge empathy, I think, for the audience to experience in regards to characters that you may not have known so much about before,” Debicki exclusively tells PEOPLE.

“I’ll say personally, the loss of the Queen was an enormous sadness. She was a pinnacle, and I think she’s much missed and much loved in my adopted country and around the world as well,” adds the Australian actress of Queen Elizabeth’s death. “So everybody’s intention has always been to sort of tell the stories as authentically as we can and make these people as human as possible, make the characters as human as possible.”

The Crown paused production when the monarch died at age 96 in September 2022, and showrunner Peter Morgan told Variety he was then compelled to change the show’s ending.

The cast famously changed every two seasons to reflect the royals aging through the decades. Debicki plays the Princess of Wales in seasons 5 and 6, closing the role originated by Emma Corrin in season 3. Netflix announced in 2020 that Debicki would portray Diana in seasons 5 and 6, and the star says she put much into the study of the People’s Princess.

Elizabeth Debicki attends the Los Angeles premiere of The Crown on Netflix on November 12.AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

“I came into this experience of playing the role very naive. I didn’t know a lot. I kind of had a kind of imprint in terms of who this person was, and I always imagined her as just this kind of extraordinarily beautiful princess and humanitarian figure,” says Debicki, who was 7 when Diana died.

The Crown alludes to the tragedy in the latest installment, though the moment of impact is not shown — a turn previously confirmed by PEOPLE.

On Aug. 31, 1997, the Princess of Wales and love interest Dodi Fayed were traveling by car in Paris with a driver and a bodyguard. The four were pursued by paparazzi when their vehicle slammed into a support column of the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, flipped and came to a rest in front of oncoming traffic. Dodi and the driver died instantly, while Diana died a few hours later.

Twenty-six years later, Debicki tells PEOPLE that the weight of playing Diana for the major streaming series was not lost on her.

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in season 6 of The Crown on Netflix.DANIEL ESCALE/NETFLIX

Elizabeth Debicki Says Filming Princess Diana Paparazzi Scenes in The Crown Was Like ‘Being Underwater’ (Exclusive)

“I did a lot of research for this role. I probably spent about a year doing research and that just filled in all these pieces and made me have such deep, deep respect and love for this person who I didn’t know so much about. The battle that she went through in terms of media, public perception. I didn’t know things about the divorce and how difficult all of that was for everybody in the family,” she says.

According to the actress, one thing she was delighted to discover was Princess Diana’s sense of fun.

“One of the things that surprised me that I loved finding out is that she had this kind of really wonderful, very cheeky sense of humor, that she was just so warm and human with people. That’s what she was so loved for, and it was so needed, too,” Debicki says of the royal rebel.

Princess Diana attends a dinner at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1985.TERRY FINCHER/PRINCESS DIANA ARCHIVE/GETTY

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“She was a real groundbreaker in terms of her ability to move through perceptions or stigmas and really just use herself as the vessel to enact huge humanitarian change. She was prolific in that and she gave us so much. I was constantly surprised at how far she was moving the needle, whether it was talking about mental health issues, AIDS or landmines,” she says of Diana’s lasting legacy. “When we lost her, the world lost a woman who could create amazing change on a humanitarian level as well.”

The show closes with the premiere of part 2 on Dec. 14, told in six episodes. The last saga is expected to conclude multiple storylines, from Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) mulling the future of the monarchy, then-Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Camilla (Olivia Williams) taking the next step in their relationship while Prince William (Ed McVey) falls for classmate Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) at college.

The Crown season 6, part 1, is now streaming on Netflix.

Fflyn Edwards as Prince Harry, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Rufus Kampa as Prince William in season 6 of The Crown on Netflix.DANIEL ESCALE/NETFLIX

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, Charles III became King of the United Kingdom. As the world gears up to accept Charles in his new role with his now wife, Camilla as Queen Consort, it’s befitting to look back at what the king’s first wife, Diana, the Princess of Wales, thought of him being crowned with the same title.

In an infamous BBC Panorama interview in 1995, the late Diana claimed she could not see herself becoming queen of the United Kingdom because the “establishment” she married into didn’t desire that. She further commented that her then-husband Charles would also find the title of the king “suffocating” and “bring enormous limitations to him.”

“Do you think you will ever be queen?” asked the host, Martin Bashir, to which Diana let out a nervous chuckle. “No, I don’t,” she replied. “Why do you think that?” he cross-questioned the princess. “I’d like to be the queen of people’s hearts, but I don’t see myself being the queen of this country,” she explained. “I don’t think many people will want me to be queen, and when I say ‘people,’ I mean the establishment I married into because they have decided I’m a non-starter.”

She further added, “I do things differently because I don’t go by a rule book because I lead from the heart, not the head, and albeit that’s got me into trouble in my work, I understand that. But someone’s got to go out there and love people and show it.”

Upon being asked if she believes that her behaviour prevents her from becoming queen, she said, “Yes, well not precluded me. I wouldn’t say that. I just don’t think I have as many supporters in that environment as I did. They see me as a threat of some kind, and I’m here to do good: I’m not a destructive person.”

Diana then elaborated on how many “strong women,” in history received the same treatment as her. “I think every strong woman in history has had to walk down a similar path, and I think it’s the strength that causes the confusion and the fear. Why is she strong? Where does she get it from? Where is she taking it? Where is she going to use it? Why does the public still support her? When I say public, you go and do an engagement and there are many people there.”

Interestingly, Diana also shared her view on Charles becoming king, claiming that she doesn’t know if he “could adapt” to the title. “There was always conflict on that subject with him when we discussed it, and I understood that conflict, because it’s a very demanding role to be Prince of Wales, but it’s an equally demanding role to be King. And being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being King would be a little more suffocating. And because I know the character, I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.”

As per Variety, Buckingham Palace announced on October 11, 2022, that the much-awaited coronation will take place on May 6, 2023. And as the date inches closer, many sources confirm that Queen Consort Camila will also be crowned alongside the monarch, as it was Queen Elizabeth II’s declaration in 2022 that it was her “sincere wish” that the former Duchess of Cornwall take the title of Queen Consort when Charles accedes to the throne.

Although it has been 25 years since Lady Diana’s untimely death in a car crash in 1997, many adoring fans to date remember her charismatic personality. Given the recent controversy regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Diana’s criticism of the media outlets and “treatment” by the British royal family remains as relevant as ever.

One royal expert has suggested that King Charles should be the “bigger person” when it comes to reconnecting with Prince Harry.

The King won’t be ‘bigger person’, expert claims (Image: GETTY)

King Charles has been urged to be the “bigger person” when it comes to fixing the ongoing feud with Prince Harry, but former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has explained why she doesn’t think this will happen.

Prince Harry has been at loggerheads with the Royal Family for some time, with strained relations looking unlikely to come to an end soon.

Harry now resides in the US with Meghan Markle and their two children, with California recently becoming his primary place of residence.

Ms Bond has explained two main reasons why the King won’t be the “bigger person” – Harry’s criticism of Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales.

Speaking to Radio Times, the expert said: “The particular hurt over how Harry criticised, viciously really, [Queen] Camilla and [Princess] Catherine.”

Discussing the fact the King didn’t meet with Harry last week, she added: “I just think as Charles is recovering from cancer, once again, it’s almost like the emotional strength to deal with ‘The Harry Problem’ just isn’t there.

“So, they didn’t meet. I just think it’s incredibly sad.”

Also speaking on her view that the King should be the “bigger person”, she added: “Personally as a parent, I think there are times when you’ve got to be the bigger person [and] you’ve got to open your arms and say ‘you’ve been a silly sod, you really have and we’ve got quite a lot to work out. But for now, lets have a hug’.”

Speaking of Harry’s criticism of his stepmother and sister-in-law, this came in the form of his tell-all memoir, which was released last year.

Harry criticised both Queen Camilla and Kate in his book Spare (Image: GETTY)

Harry released Spare worldwide on January 10, 2023 – just one day after Princess Kate’s 41st birthday.

Harry wrote that he and Prince William asked their father to not marry the now-Queen Camilla, whom he tied the knot with in 2005.

The 39-year-old also detailed how he initially feared Camilla would be like “all the evil stepmothers in the stories”.

He wrote: “I remember wondering…if she would be cruel to me; if she would be like all the wicked stepmothers in the stories.”

Prince Harry released Spare last year (Image: GETTY)

Harry wrote about the Princess of Wales in his memoir Spare, including details about her rifts with Meghan.

According to Harry, Kate messaged Meghan to complain that Princess Charlotte’s dress for her 2018 wedding did not fit correctly.

Writing in Spare, Kate reportedly wrote: “Charlotte’s dress is too big, too long, too baggy. She cried when she tried it on at home.”

Prince William will be among the guests at the Duke of Westminster’s wedding, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not set to attend to avoid ‘tensions’.

Prince William will be an usher at Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding, but Prince Harry won’t be there (Image: Getty)

Prince William will be an usher at a close friend’s wedding but to avoid tensions Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be attending. Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, will marry Olivia Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral on June 7 it what has been billed as the society wedding of the year.

The Times reported on Saturday (May 18) that the Sussexes would not be at the billionaire businessman’s nuptials to avoid tensions “overshadowing” the day.

Grosvenor is said to be a close friend to Prince William and Prince Harry, acting as godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie.

Neither Princess Kate nor King Charles, who are both being treated for cancer, are expected to attend, according to the same publication.

The Duke of Westminster, whose godfather is King Charles, recently topped The Sunday Times Rich List 40 under 40, with estimates he has inherited wealth totalling £10billion.

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Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson will marry on June 7 (Image: PA Images/Grosvenor 2023)

Sources close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say the couple have chosen not to attend (Image: Getty)

Four hundred guests are reportedly set to attend the wedding between Grosvenor and Miss Henson, who met in 2021.

A lavish reception at Eaton Hall will follow the wedding ceremony. The next day the newlyweds will host a second, smaller reception at Eaton Hall, the Grosvenors’ estate in Cheshire.

The Sunday Times revealed in 2023 that the Sussexes would not be on the couple’s guest list.

A friend of the princes told the publication: “It’s incredibly sad it has come to this. Hugh is one of the very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both.”

The pal said Grosvenor, 33, wishes the royal siblings could “put their heads together and patch things up”, but realises it’s unlikely to happen before his wedding.

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Princess Kate is not expected to attend the wedding (Image: Getty)

King Charles will be travelling to France with Queen Camilla (Image: Getty)

They added: “He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn’t want any awkwardness.”

Sources close to Harry and Meghan suggested they received notice of the wedding, but opted not to attend, believing it would be “too awkward”.

On the day before the wedding, King Charles is due to travel to France with Queen Camilla and Prince William for a series of events to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

William and Harry’s relationship has deteriorated in recent years, with tensions reportedly having arisen over the Duke of Sussex’s stepping down as a senior royal and claims levelled against the Prince of Wales and other senior members of the Royal Family in the Duke’s memoir, Spare, and Sussexes’ Netflix docu-series.