Prince Harry will not be attending the upcoming wedding of his cousin Peter Phillips, and royal experts say the reasons go beyond simple scheduling. According to royal expert Emily Nash, the estrangement between Harry and Phillips, combined with Phillips’ close loyalty to Prince William, are the primary factors behind the decision not to extend an invitation to the Duke of Sussex.“I think it comes down to interpersonal relationships, doesn’t it?” Nash told Page Six. “What we were told was that Peter hadn’t spoken to Harry for the last few years. So it sort of has been a natural cooling off, and he wasn’t invited as a result.”
Why Peter Phillips is closer to William than Harry
Nash noted that while Harry’s relationship with Phillips has quietly faded, the bond between Phillips and the Prince of Wales remains strong. “Peter is very loyal. He’s very protective. He’s been a very good sounding board to his cousin William over the years,” she said.The expert also pointed to the practical implications of having both brothers present at the same event. “I think had both Wales brothers been there, it would have put a completely different slant on the whole event. That’s not what you want on what should be the happiest day of your life, right?”Harry and William’s relationship has been strained since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020. During Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021, Phillips reportedly played the role of peacemaker between the two brothers. “Peter was positioned between the two warring brothers. He was sort of put right in the middle of them as the older cousin, and that must have been a really difficult moment for him,” Nash said. “Of course, a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then.”
Prince Harry’s memoir cited as another factor
Nash also pointed to Harry’s 2023 memoir ‘Spare’ as a contributing reason behind his absence from the guest list. “That would have become the absolute focal point for Peter and Harriet’s special day, and there have been enough distractions, I think, from the good things about the royal family over the past year,” she said. “Hopefully, they can just have this one day to come together and celebrate someone’s happy news for a change.“
Claims that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ‘banned’ from the wedding
The exclusion has been described in even stronger terms by others. According to TalkTV host Mark Dolan, Harry and Meghan were not simply left off the guest list but are effectively banned from attending. “Why? Because Peter Phillips, the guy that’s getting married, doesn’t want Harry to take the headlines,” Dolan told Sky News via Daily Express. “Palace officials feel that Harry and Meghan are toxic and they would ruin the special day. It’s a royal snub; it’s the royal wedding of the year.”
Who is attending Peter Phillips’ wedding
King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh are all reportedly attending the June 6 wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling. Nash described the occasion as a reflection of the modern royal family. “There is a real family at the heart of it, and a blended one as well. So it really is reflecting the much more modern face of the royal family,” she said.With Harry’s absence now confirmed and the guest list firmly set, Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s June 6 wedding looks set to be a celebration the royal family can enjoy without the complications that have come to define recent years.
