Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are unlikely to visit the UK in 2024 after the Duke of Sussex declined an invitation to attend the high-profile wedding of his close friend Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster.
According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, Meghan Markle has no reason to visit the UK in the coming year given her low popularity with the British public. Fitzwilliams told GB News, “I don’t see Meghan wanting to visit the UK, there is no reason for it.”
The wedding snub comes amid ongoing tensions between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William after Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.
Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster who goes by the nickname “Hughie,” has been friends with both princes since childhood. He was slated to marry Olivia Henson on June 7, 2024 in Chester Cathedral in the northwest of England.
As one of Prince George’s godfathers and a godson of King Charles III himself, Grosvenor has close personal ties to the royal family. His wedding guest list includes Charles, Camilla the Queen Consort, William, Kate Middleton, and their son Prince George.
According to sources close to Prince Harry, Grosvenor did in fact invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to his nuptials. However, Harry declined, telling his friend it would be “too awkward” for him and Meghan to attend alongside other royals given the ongoing tensions.
The snub is said to be a sad development by friends of the princes. One unnamed friend told The Sunday Times, “It’s incredibly sad it has come to this. Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a good relationship with both.”
The friend added, “He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up.”
Rumors had swirled that Grosvenor made the reluctant decision not to invite Harry and Meghan over concerns their presence could cause drama on his big day. But sources close to the Sussexes dispute this, insisting the choice not to attend was Harry’s.
Harry and Meghan’s absence from yet another high-profile royal and social event continues a pattern that began after they stepped down as working members of the royal family in January 2020.
Meghan Markle last visited the UK in September 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. She opted not to join Harry for King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023 or the WellChild Awards in London in September 2023.
Each time Harry returned solo, Meghan’s absence stirred speculation she wished to avoid negativity and heckling from crowds.
With ties remaining fraught between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family, all signs suggest Meghan will not return to Britain anytime soon. Prince Harry may continue occasional visits, but the divide clearly remains deep.
As 2024 begins, hopes for reconciliation between Harry, Meghan, and the royals led by King Charles dwindle. The Sussexes forge their independent path at the cost of treasured relationships with longtime friends like Hughie Grosvenor and family like William and Kate.
