Royal news – live: William serves as usher at duke’s wedding as Harry stays away

Prince Harry is set to miss his close friend’s nuptials on Friday while his brother, Prince William, serves as an usher.

The Duke of Westminster is set to wed his fiancée Olivia Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral on Friday in what is billed to be the society wedding of the year.

Hugh Grosvenor, 33, has long had close associations with the monarchy and is the godfather of both William and Kate’s eldest son, Prince George, 10, and Harry’s son, Archie, five.

However only one of the royal brothers will be attending the celebrations amid continued tensions between the pair.

A source close to Harry told People magazine that he decided against attending the wedding after acknowledging the difficulties his presence would cause.

After months of speculation, sources close to the Duke of Sussex told People magazine that he had spoken privately to his longtime friend, the Duke of Westminster, about the challenges of his attendance before they mutually came to the decision.

Read the full report here:

The title of the Duke of Westminster is historically significant as it is the most recent title given to a person who is not a direct descendant of the royal family – although it is worth noting that Grosvenor’s mother is a direct descendent of George II.

The dukedom was given to Hugh Grosvenor, the third Marquess of Westminster, by Queen Victoria in 1847, making the current Hugh Grosvenor the seventh Duke of Westminster.

The Duke inherited his title and the Grosvenor Estate in 2016 upon the death of his father, Gerald Grosvenor, at the age of 64. At the time, the then-sixth Duke of Westminster was the UK’s wealthiest landowner.

Now his son owns the 300-plus acre Grosvenor estate, made up of some of London’s most desirable neighbourhoods including Mayfair and Belgravia.

King Charles is Hugh’s godfather and was present at his Christening in 1991. Prince William, meanwhile, holds the Duke in such high regard that he made him Prince George’s godfather in 2013.

Grosvenor is also close friends with Prince Harry, who made the Duke Archie’s godfather.