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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