According to one royal expert, an upcoming royal wedding could double as a way to bring estranged brothers Prince William and Prince Harry together.
As The Daily Mail notes, Hugh Grosvenor—one of the richest men in Britain and the 7th Duke of Westminster— is marrying Olivia Henson on June 7. The affair is reported to be "the very poshest of posh" of the year and will undoubtedly be attended by more than a few royals.
Grosvenor is also a dear friend of both Prince Harry and Prince William. In fact, Grosvenor is the godfather to Prince Harry's son, Archie.
According to a royal insider, both were invited to the wedding. But as The Daily Mail reports the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle have since declined to attend.
"It’s incredibly sad it has come to this," a close friend of Grosvenor said. "Hugh is one of the very few close friends of William and Harry who has maintained strong bonds…with both."
The friend went on to say that Grosvenor "wishes" the brothers "could put their heads together and patch things up," though the groom-to-be apparently realizes that such a scenario is unlikely.
"He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn’t want any awkwardness," the friend continued.
Liz Jones, a British journalist and royal expert, writes for The Daily Mail that the opportunity for reconciliation remains, and a famed wedding is the perfect venue for the brothers to come together.
"It’s like a game of Twister, a tangled web of turbulent toffs that has sadly been pulled apart," Jones writes. "I imagine William, though outwardly beaming, will actually feel a great deal of sadness that such a happy day cannot be shared."
Recently, Prince Harry was back in the U.K. to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his beloved Invictus Games. Despite the close proximity to his family, he did not spend time with or even see his brother or is father, King Charles, who was apparently "too busy" to meet with his son.
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program," a spokesperson for Prince Harry said, via The Telegraph.
Jones points out that weddings are usually a time "when family and friends" find a way to "put aside any differences, any squabbles, and turn up with a smile on their faces."
"It’s such a shame, a lost opportunity," she added. "Front page photographs of William and Harry suited and booted, slapping each other on the back would have brought about a national sigh of relief after so many difficult years."
