Prince William joined King Charles and Queen Camilla in Portsmouth on June 5th for the pre-D-Day anniversary events. British WWII veterans came out and William, Charles and Camilla spent some brief one-on-one time with some of those men, most of whom are either close to 100 years old or past the century-mark. One of the older gentlemen decided to do some investigating while he was in Portsmouth. As soon as William leaned over to talk, the older man said: “I was going to ask you if your wife is getting any better?” William quickly answered: “Yes, she’s getting better, yeah.” Then William added: “She’d love to be here today.”

I think the Telegraph misquotes William – he didn’t say “she would’ve loved to be here today,” he said “she’d love to be here today.” A distinction without a difference really, but I find it odd that so many people are misquoting it. So, there you go, an update on Kate’s condition. Kate is present tense. Kate IS getting better. Kate WOULD love to be in Portsmouth. Things might be going t-ts up behind the scenes, but they gave William some lines and he happily recited them. I’m a little bit surprised that any of the veterans asked about Kate. Although… I always said, Kate is good with older folks. Seniors find her cute, and she’s more natural with seniors than she is with kids.

In the video, you can also see Camilla greeting a veteran with a lot of warmth, to her credit. You can also see that British paratroopers staged a recreation of “jumping on Normandy.” Hilariously, because of Brexit, French customs officers were waiting on the ground to check the Brits’ papers.

A weird Brexit consequence – the British paratroopers who landed in France to recreate D-Day for today’s anniversary had to immediately go through customs after landing. https://t.co/00iJLvReXi

— Dave Keating (@DaveKeating) June 5, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Jake Gyllenhaal covers the latest issue of the Hollywood Reporter, mostly to promote Road House (on Prime) and the upcoming Presumed Innocent miniseries (on AppleTV+). If I’m being honest, I’ll f–k with Presumed Innocent. I know Jake is canceled for a lot of people and I’m not even any kind of Jake fan, but the series looks really good and I love sexy legal dramas like that. As for this interview, it feels like Jake is always in a constant state of trying to show people that he’s not an intense, workaholic a–hole, even when all of his costars quoted in this piece are like “no, he’s very intense and the man is consumed with work.” Some highlights from THR:

He’s legally blind?? Gyllenhaal, 43, has been wearing intensive corrective lenses since he was about 6. Born with a lazy eye that naturally resolved, he’s still legally blind. “I like to think it’s advantageous. I’ve never known anything else. When I can’t see in the morning, before I put on my glasses, it’s a place where I can be with myself.”

He had fun working on ‘Road House’: “There are movies I’ve made that people have said to me, ‘Man, intense. That was great. It was tough.’ And there have been many different times where I’m like, ‘Wait, what’s it like to make a movie and be like, ‘That was just fun?’ Road House was definitely that.”

He’s obsessed with 1991’s Point Break, which he has seen hundreds of times. To him, Patrick Swayze’s and Keanu Reeves’ performances in the surf-cop action movie reflect the joyful commitment of true artists. “To deliver a line that goes into a trailer, with the right gusto and belief, and even with the absurdity of it, it’s a mastery. There’s that thing, the camera’s pushing in and I’m always like, ‘Oh wow, this is when you see Bruce Willis do the line, the thing. And now I’m doing the thing. Like, oh God.’ ” In Road House, for instance, before his character’s first time knocking out a rowdy bar customer, he asks genially, “Before we start, do you have insurance? Like, your coverage good? Do you have dental?” It’s the kind of action-comedy moment Gyllenhaal grew up watching and only now truly appreciates as craft. “It requires this ease, but focus. I’m in awe of people who can do it.”

His relationship with his sister Maggie: “I worshiped her, and she was like, ‘Go away.’ My sister has always been brilliant. What it did was present something to me that I inevitably would always be chasing. She takes a step and does something and I’m like, ‘Whoa, holy s–t. All right, I’m going to try this.’ ”

Next up is Othello: “It is learning another language. I have a bit of dyslexia, too, particularly within the articles of things — like, I’ll reverse them. Many people say, ‘But you learn so fast.’ And I’m like, ‘I drill these things.’ “

He’s been with Jeanne Cadieu since 2018. Asked when they’re going to get married, Gyllenhaal says, playfully, “I’m supposed to tell The Hollywood Reporter that? I’m not going to give you timing,” but continues, “I think we all get into that space of work, work, work, and for a long time my career took precedence, but I’m at a point in my life where I realize that family really is the only thing that matters to me.”

He declined to discuss Taylor Swift: It makes sense that Gyllenhaal is a little guarded about his personal life when you consider that the three-month relationship he had with Taylor Swift still triggers online fan screeds some 14 years later thanks to the signature breakup song “All Too Well” that the pop star wrote about him. Swift is one subject Gyllenhaal declines to discuss — in 2022, when she released a longer version of the 2012 song, he turned off his Instagram comments. “It has nothing to do with me,” he told Esquire at the time. “It’s about her relationship with her fans. It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”

[From THR]

There’s also a lot of stuff about how much Jake loves to cook and bake and how he fan-boys over certain chefs and bakers, which I believe. I bet baking really appeals to his personality. I’m not saying that in a shady way, I’m just saying “that makes sense.” I also appreciate that he declined to discuss Taylor Swift – like, he really doesn’t need to give that issue any more air, and if he breathed one word about Taylor, the Swifties would climb up his ass. Also: I love the original Point Break too, and Swayze and Reeves’ performances are really underrated. I’ve also seen that hundreds of times. Lori Petty’s best role too, she’s so sexy in that (they all are).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter.

Kim Kardashian acted on American Horror Story: Delicate, which was the most recent season. I didn’t watch it, but I did see some clips and I saw people praising her performance. Like, she played a ballbuster publicist/witch/Satanist. Well, Kim was paired with Chloe Sevigny in Variety’s Actors on Actors series ahead of the Emmy nominations. While Chloe is a true artiste and a long-time indie girl, I sort of felt like she would be fine being paired with Kim. And it was fine – Kim is completely boring in these kinds of situations but she and Chloe had a decent conversation about acting, what kinds of films they gravitate towards, etc. I’m sure Chloe has never seen one episode of the Kardashians’ reality shows, but she has a general idea of who Kim is and they’re not that far apart in ages.

I find it interesting that Kim admits that when she watched old movies, she was more focused on the style, hair and makeup more than the performances of the actresses. Of course, it comes across as incredibly superficial, but hey, she found a way to monetize those interests and then some. It IS difficult to watch certain older films and not focus on the fashion and style of it all, like old Hitchcock movies or anything with Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly.

As some who enjoyed Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, I enjoyed what Chloe had to say about her character, CZ Guest, and the research she did. Kim was more interested in the costumes, of course, but in Kim’s defense – the costumes of that series were AMAZING.

What else? Kim confesses that she’s a big fan of buying historical fashion/jewelry in auctions. She told Chloe that she “actually bought a watch of Lee Radziwill — or Jackie’s, but Lee had it. I would always probably just take a moment and be like, ‘This is so f–king cool to have her pieces!’” Chloe asks her about the American Crime Story series about OJ Simpson and Kim praised the authenticity of the scripts and the costumes and sets. Chloe and Kim also talked about he Menendez bros (Chloe is playing Kitty Menendez) and Kim sort of knew the Menendez family.

Oh, Kim got Chloe to talk about the 1990s and being a style icon. When Chloe talked about Boys Don’t Cry, Kim’s question was: what did you wear to the Oscars? LOL. Chloe talked about that year, saying: “I wore Alber Elbaz for Yves Saint Laurent. And I went with my boyfriend at the time, Harmony Korine, and I lost. Angelina Jolie won for ‘Girl, Interrupted,’ which was not a supporting part, I would say. Not that I’m bitter! But it was a very competitive category that year. Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Toni Collette and me — it was just great actresses. My desire was to be more of a character actress, which I’m hoping people recognize in me more now than maybe they had in the past. But maybe a leading lady; I wouldn’t refuse.” Oh, Chloe is still mad about Angelina winning that year!

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Tom Hardy returns in the trailer for Venom: The Last Dance. I can’t believe Chiwetel Ejiofor is in this! He deserves a better career. [Socialite Life]
Jodie Turner Smith’s no-pants promotion. [LaineyGossip]
Outlander and the American Revolution. Jamie Fraser threw the first tea bag in Boston! (I’m just kidding, although that would be hilarious.) [Just Jared]
Is anyone still watching Mayor of Kingstown? [Pajiba]
Nicola Coughlan looks amazing! [Go Fug Yourself]
Adam Lambert is working with new producers. [OMG Blog]
Emma D’Arcy has such cool style. [RCFA]
Birds are attacking right-wing media figures. [Seriously OMG]
Kalani Faagata gave birth to a baby girl. [Starcasm]
Sabrina Carpenter’s come-up has been so dramatic, right? [Hollywood Life]
Is Chucky (the doll/horror lead) really a gay icon? [Buzzfeed]

Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is getting married this week, on the 7th. Prince William is reportedly the only royal who will attend the wedding, which has caused about six months’ worth of headlines. Hugh did invite the Sussexes but they declined (and Hugh hasn’t said a word against them), and Hugh also invited King Charles, but reportedly the king and queen are not going to the wedding either. The Princess of Wales is obviously skipping it too, given no one has heard from her in months. For months, there’s been all of this outsized focus on the royal guests, which must be so upsetting to Hugh, who genuinely seems to fly under the radar and not want any kind of attention. Thankfully, the Telegraph did sort of a lovely piece about Hugh and his bride Olivia Henson and their post-wedding plans. Keep in mind, Hugh is one of the richest men in the UK, with a vast real estate portfolio. Apparently, he’s planning to move to his country home and start a family.

The Duke of Westminster has plans to settle down into the farming life of a country gentleman after his wedding, according to friends. Next week Hugh Grosvenor, the seventh Duke, will wed duchess-to-be Olivia Henson in Chester Cathedral, Cheshire, with the Prince of Wales as an usher. Following the nuptials, Chester is where the couple “want to lay down the foundations of their future”, and where the Duke will nurture his love of “nature, sustainability and farming,” a source close to them has said.

Friends of the Duke, 33, have described him as having “a genuine love of the land” that is fitting for one of the UK’s largest landowners who studied countryside management at university. He is also president of the Country Trust, a charity that encourages children from disadvantaged backgrounds to connect with “the land that sustains us all” through visits to farms across the country, including the Duke’s Grosvenor Farms on his Eaton Estate in Cheshire.

Jill Attenborough, CEO of the Country Trust, said: “He’s really aware of his responsibility as the next generation of farmers and landowners and he gently, certainly not in a sort of pushy way, tries to draw in his network as well of ‘next gen’ to talk about whether they might also welcome children into their farms and estates and showcase what they’re doing for a more sustainable future.”

The Duke also currently has an ongoing project to create the largest continuous area of wildflowers in the country using local Cheshire wildflower seed and is passionate about timber production and developing his “cutting-edge” dairy farm. The site of the farm, the family’s sprawling 11,000-acre Eaton Estate, will also play an important role in hosting the 400 wedding guests after a service at Chester Cathedral next Friday. The guests, who have all been issued a strict no gifts instruction, will descend upon the picturesque county town for the main event followed by a more intimate gathering the next day for family and close friends.

Chester will be decorated with 100,000 flowers paid for by the Duke to mark the occasion, and they will be planted in displays across the cathedral city throughout the summer. The wedding flowers, it is understood, will be donated to local charities and organisations following the ceremony in keeping with a theme of sustainability and locally sourced food throughout.

The couple have recently embarked on a few public charitable visits to highlight their support of their future home town, with Miss Henson insisting on one of them that the couple want to “put down roots” in the north-west county town where they will be wed.

“It’s obviously a place where we will live,” she said. “We’ll be building our lives together and we’re slowly transitioning to move up from London and be much more permanent here and really putting roots down.” The bride-to-be added that it had been “an easy decision” for the couple to make. However, a friend of the couple has caveated that the parameters of his role as chair of the Grosvenor Group, which manages more than 300 acres of Mayfair and Belgravia, means that they will “still be in London regularly”.

[From The Telegraph]

I really hope photo agencies are allowed to get wedding photos and some pics of the decorations. It sounds like they’re doing a “village wedding” and then everyone will move to Eaton Estate for the reception, which we probably will not see at all. As for Hugh and Olivia’s plans to spend more time in the country… it reminds me of what they used to say about Prince William, circa 2014-2017. That was when William and Kate moved to Norfolk and William was acting like a “Turnip Toff” with no royal responsibilities. Hugh is actually living William’s dream life.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red & Richard Eden’s IG.

Three things irrevocably changed the American population during the pandemic. One, over 1.1 million people died, leaving gaping holes in families and communities. Two, people’s lives were ripped apart by long covid and the longterm effects of covid infections, which we still don’t completely understand. We basically have a not-insignificant part of the population still dealing with health issues years after their covid infections. Three, we learned that millions of people living in America are absolute morons who hate and don’t understand science, vaccines and public health. Evangeline Lilly showed her ass during the pandemic and it’s never been the same for her since. In the early days of the pandemic, she arrogantly declared that quarantines are bullsh-t and “freedom” is more important than any public health measure. Then she went to that bonkers anti-vaxx rally and came out in support of “bodily sovereignty” against vaccine mandates. She did and said all of that while under contract with Marvel. Well, I guess her contract is up and she understands that she’s done irreversible harm to her career, because Evangeline is quitting the biz.

Evangeline Lilly announced on Instagram that she has stepped away from Hollywood for the foreseeable future and “might return one day.” Lilly, best known for playing Kate Austen in ABC’s drama series “Lost,” re-shared a video recorded in 2006 in which she expressed her desire to be a “retired actress” by the next decade.

“Ten years from now, where would I like to be? I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world but ideally 10 years from now I’d like to be a retired actress and have a family,” Lilly said in the video. “I’d like to be writing and influencing people’s lives in humanitarian ways.”

In her caption to the video posted June 3, 2024, Lily writes: “I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings. Stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment. I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong.”

[From Variety]

Pre-pandemic, Evangeline was known as a granola-hippie type who eschewed the fame machine of Hollywood for the most part. Like, she never really capitalized on all of the buzz she got from Lost, and that genuinely was her choice back then. This current move is not completely her choice though – Marvel was not happy that several of their stars were such idiots during the pandemic. Evangeline wasn’t a big enough star for her career to weather her own stupidity. Sidenote: I don’t think she really had the talent for career longevity either, but whatever.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William had an event today in Portsmouth ahead of D-Day (tomorrow). Much of the Allied’s Operation Overlord was launched from Portsmouth, and so this was a nice 80th anniversary commemoration on home soil before Charles, Camilla and William travel to Normandy tomorrow for the larger D-Day anniversary events. All three will be on Omaha Beach for the major commemoration event, although William will also spend time with the Canadian delegation. Last-minute update: apparently, Charles is going to skip the Omaha Beach event but he will go to Normandy, he’ll just spend time with the British veterans, but he will not spend time with Pres. Biden, President Macron or the other world leaders gathering on Omaha Beach.

For today’s event, William arrived separately and ahead of his father and stepmother. They were seated together for some of the event, although it also looks like Rishi Sunak took the king’s seat for part of the presentation. The photos of William cozying up to the prime minister… probably something which should have been avoided in an election cycle, right? I mean, the Windsors made a big deal about how they’re apolitical, then William-the-Tory-Stooge is just fully seated with Sunak and David Cameron.

Is there some reason why Camilla chose pink for this event? It’s not a bad look – and I’m glad she didn’t wear one of her zippered housedresses – but it feels like she could have gone more patriotic or themed? I can’t believe I’m requesting more theme-dressing and flag cosplay, but we haven’t seen Kate in so long. If Kate had attended, she would have literally worn the Union Jack.

Incidentally, this is how the French First Lady greeted the WWII veterans who returned to Normandy:

Welcome to France, heroes. pic.twitter.com/q6HFecv9xX

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 4, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Will the Princess of Wales make a surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour on June 15th? That’s the big discussion, and Kensington Palace is allowing the speculation to percolate right now. My guess is that KP is fine with the speculation because it presupposes that Kate is well enough to make the decision for herself, and I’m pretty doubtful that’s the reality (which KP is so desperate to hide). But as I said, that’s just my guess/theory. I could be wrong, and I would feel nothing but relief if Kate is well enough to appear, however briefly, at Trooping. Well, royal historian/expert Tessa Dunlop has some thoughts about all of the Trooping buzz, including her guess that Kate might actually appear. The larger discussion, for Dunlop, is that people need to stop using the Sussexes as a deflection and actually focus on the left-behind Windsors.

Royal historian and expert Dr Tessa Dunlop told the Mirror: “Whether [Kate] will make a balcony appearance on the big day on June 15 remains the great unknown. My hunch is she will give us a wave, but if she doesn’t (entirely her prerogative) questions about Harry and Meghan are bound to surface. These are futile, even in 2022 the Sussexes were out of the picture, glimpsed briefly at a window and not invited on the balcony.”

“This year that balcony cast will have even slimmer pickings if the Princess of Wales stays away. In which case might it be time to review the role of non-working royals? All those cousins Eugenie, Beatrice, and Zara who have long behaved with hallmark loyalty would surely relish the prospect of standing shoulder to shoulder with their King. After all, isn’t that what families are for?”

Tessa noted that this year’s Trooping the Colour will demonstrate how much has altered for the Royal Family – even within just one year. She said: “2024 is not royal service as usual. And nor should it be. Our most glamorous royal player, like her father-in-law and King, has cancer and health must come first. But let’s not pretend Kate won’t be missed at Trooping the Colour. The King’s official birthday parade ties us back through time to centuries of pomp and ceremony. No one does that better than the Princess of Wales who in the last decade has owned the stage as Britain’s most eye-catching stateswoman.”

“The last Trooping the Colour I attended was that bittersweet summer of 2022, the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Too frail for Horse Guards Parade, Her Majesty popped out on the balcony. It was the climax to a great day which saw Charles, then Prince of Wales, on horseback and a Disney moment when, in a pop of colour, Princess Catherine fluttered by in a horse-drawn carriage. The crowd gasped. This was British royalty at its best.”

“Much can change in two short years. The new King will be present for his birthday parade, but won’t review the troops on horseback. There are limits when undergoing cancer treatment at age 75. Likewise for the Princess of Wales, things look very different in 2024. She has climbed the ranks, and with her new honorary role as Colonel of the Irish Guards ordinarily, she would have taken the salute. But these are not ordinary times. Kate won’t attend the Colonel’s Review (Trooping’s rehearsal on 8 June).”

While Tessa considers Kate as “British royalty at its best”, she believes her decision on whether or not to attend will inevitably spark “pointless” questions about Harry and Meghan, who are now “out of the picture”.

[From The Daily Mirror]

“My hunch is she will give us a wave, but if she doesn’t (entirely her prerogative) questions about Harry and Meghan are bound to surface.” Almost as if the palace and the rota has a prepared script, to always deflect to “the Sussexes should come back so that we don’t have to investigate what’s really going on with Kate.” That is exactly what will happen if and when Kate misses Trooping. What’s also bizarre is that in all of the speculation, no one is saying anything about the Wales kids? For the past two years, all three Wales kids have been on the balcony. The kids were on the balcony for Trooping pre-pandemic too. There’s been little mention or preparation for what happens if Prince William turns up solo, with no kids and no Kate.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.

It’s been a full five weeks since we last paid any attention to Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes. When we last left off, T.J. confessed to having some big separation anxiety whenever he isn’t around Amy, even if she’s just using the restroom. Somewhere, Tori Spelling is very jealous of Amy. Those two lovebirds were also talking about their conflicted feelings over what their next steps were. Should they move in together? Should they get married or just remain lifelong partners and lovaaahs? Well, their podcast is still going strong and yes, they’re still talking about themselves. This time, though, they revisited a topic near and dear to their hearts: how difficult it was for them to get caught having an affair and lose their jobs. We’re talking “rock bottom,” people. Rock. Bottom.

Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes had to reach their lowest to become the people they are today. In an episode of their Amy & T.J. podcast released on June 2, the former GMA 3: What You Need to Know co-hosts opened up about previously hitting “rock bottom.” The two were referring to the moment when they exited the ABC series after news of their romance became public. At the time, Robach had not confirmed her separation from her actor husband Andrew Shue, nor Holmes with his attorney wife Marilee Fiebig.

While gushing over guest Rachel Platten’s candlelight concert the night before, Robach shared how her song “Fight Song” had gotten her through some of life’s toughest times.

“We know a little bit about walking through some darkness and coming through the other side and when the worst has happened,” she said. “And I’ve thought I’ve hit rock bottom before and I actually hit rock bottom.”

Robach confessed that she likes to listen to Platten’s music “having just gone through the journey we went through.” At the time of her and Holmes’ exit from GMA, which came shortly after her own journey with breast cancer, Robach said “Fight Song” had become “my anthem.”

Now, the mom of two shared that the singer’s new track “Mercy” may be her new go-to. Robach said that Platten’s “zero f—s” attitude has really resonated with her own journey.

“Like when you get to a place and it’s hard earned, when you can give zero f—s, sometimes that’s when you’re at your best,” she continued, while Holmes said that the process of letting go has been “weird” but “freeing.”

He explained that the experience was necessary to find “where I’m supposed to be,” though the road was hard and arduous.

“It sucks,” he confessed. “It sucks even more than you think.”

[From People]

“We know a little bit about walking through some darkness and coming through the other side and when the worst has happened.” I am begging these two to get some self-awareness. Getting caught cheating on your spouses, doing some revisionist history to play with the timeline of your respective separations, and then playing victim as you deal with the consequences of your actions is a little bit different than having something terrible happen *to* you. You know who probably went through some real dark times? Their kids, especially T.J.’s young daughter. Their spouses are the ones who really went through it in order to come out better on the other side. I’m not trying to negate how they feel because I am sure that it was really hard to lose their jobs and have to start all over, but they need to have a little bit more perspective here. At some point, they have to recognize that they brought all of this on themselves. Good on them for letting go, though. That’s pretty cool and healthy, I guess.

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Over the weekend, I saw that the Times of London’s royal editor Roya Nikkhah was still insisting that the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, had not invited Prince Harry to his wedding. Kensington Palace spoon-fed Roya that version last December, and she’s still claiming it, even after every other publication and royal reporter has quietly acknowledged that Hugh DID invite the Sussexes to his wedding and the Sussexes declined. Speaking of, the Times’ Kate Mansey did yet another story which acknowledged just that, because they’re still desperately trying to wring as much melodrama from this as possible:

[Grosvenor] is one of only a few friends who has remained close to both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex despite the brothers’ increasingly bitter public feud. The duke’s godfather is the King and, in turn, he is godfather to William and Harry’s eldest sons, Prince George and Prince Archie. But with William and Harry barely able to sit in the same cathedral without the rage being visible, the royal rift has threatened to overshadow the Westminster wedding. So, which of them to invite?

It is understood that a civilised understanding was reached between the duke and Harry over the phone. It’s a long way to come from California, after all. Harry was invited but then agreed to stay away. The duke’s diplomacy then cleared the way for William to perform the role of usher during Friday’s ceremony — a job that would have been beyond awkward if he was obliged to show Harry to his pew, even though he might enjoy telling him where to go. The Princess of Wales, meanwhile, will stay away as she continues her recovery after revealing this year that she is undergoing chemotherapy.

[From The Times]

“If he was obliged to show Harry to his pew, even though he might enjoy telling him where to go…” Ha, it’s so funny to joke around about an abusive psycho telling his brother to go to hell. Hilarity! Again, this directly contradicts The Times’ reporting from six months ago, which came via a very obvious Kensington Palace briefing. Prince William has centered himself in the Duke of Westminster’s wedding for months and it’s one of the tackiest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Anyway, in case you need it underlined, People Magazine ran a confirmation of the “Hugh invited Harry to the wedding, actually” version:

Prince Harry was invited to Britain’s wedding of the year, but both parties recognized the challenges of his attendance. PEOPLE confirms that the Duke of Sussex, 39, was invited to the upcoming wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, to Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral in northern England on June 7. However, there was an acknowledgment on both sides that it would be difficult for Harry to attend. Meanwhile, Prince William is expected to serve as an usher at what is regarded as the society wedding of the year.

It was an “understanding between the two friends,” a source describes the conversation between the two dukes. An insider close to the bride and groom tells PEOPLE that Harry and the Duke of Westminster mutually made the agreement.

The decision certainly avoided the inevitable clamor had estranged brothers Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry both attended the nuptials, eliminating the possibility of the big day being overshadowed for the couple.

Transatlantic travel to the U.K. is fraught for Harry due to security challenges in his home country. His official support was removed after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal roles and relocated to her home state of California in 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex can also no longer use Frogmore Cottage, their former home in Windsor Great Park, as a base during stays in the U.K.

Moreover, Prince Harry’s RSVP removes any difficulty of being shown to his seat by his brother, who will welcome guests and help them find their place in the church’s pews on Friday.

The Duke of Sussex sends “his love and support and admiration for the couple” for their wedding day, the source tells PEOPLE.

[From People]

Something similar was briefed from Montecito or the Grosvenors’ people last December, as a subtle contradiction of William’s very obvious briefing – that Harry and Hugh had spoken on the phone, that Harry declined the invitation but that Hugh and Harry are still fine. Yet I guarantee that throughout this week, there will still be royalists insisting that “Hugh snubbed the Sussexes and they’re mad about it” and “Meghan would kill to be at the society wedding of the year!” The amount of copium these people need to get through the day is astounding.

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