Prince Harry won’t be reuniting with the royal family at Peter Phillips’ wedding, as New Idea can reveal exactly why he hasn’t scored an invite.
Princess Anne’s son, Peter, will be tying the knot for the second time to nurse Harriet Sperling at All Saints Church in Cirencester on June 6, but it’s set to be quite a low-key affair.
Rumours have swirled about who will be attending, given its due to be a private wedding rather than a large-scale royal affair.
The official guest list hasn’t been released, but New Idea have learnt that while many of the royals will attend, Harry and Meghan Markle are not on that list.
We can reveal that the decision not to invite Harry and Meghan was actually Peter’s, with our insider claiming that he had also discussed the guest list with Anne.
“This was Peter’s decision, and it was an easy one to make after discussing it with his mum,” our source dishes.
“Peter hasn’t spoken to Harry in years, nor does he know Meghan well at all. But even if he did want Harry there, the nightmare it would cause is simply not worth it.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton are both expected to attend, along with King Charles and Queen Camilla, but Harry’s hopes of a family reunion won’t be patched up at Peter’s nuptials.
“Right now, he and Harriet are expecting the King, the Queen, William and Kate to attend – all of whom might have an issue should Harry and Meghan decide to turn up,” our insider adds.
“Anne was wise to point out that this is his and Harriet’s special day and it belonged to them. Why risk causing family discomfort, spun-up leaks to the media and having their wedding turn into another Meghan Markle scandal?
“This wedding is very important to Anne. She’ll always bear guilt that her first marriage didn’t work and didn’t want that to happen for her kids.
“It’s been hard seeing Peter go through a heart-breaking divorce, but she believes he’s found the perfect forever partner in Harriet. She’s very happy about this marriage.”
Peter’s first wedding, to his ex-wife Autumn Kelly, was a large-scale royal affair at St George’s Chapel, but his second will be distinctly different.
Instead, Peter and Harriet will say “I do” in an intimate ceremony at All Saints Church, lying just 20 minutes away from their home on Gatcombe Park.
While it is likely their local church, it holds an added layer of sentimental value as Harriet grew up in South Cerney, just 15 minutes away from the church.
Peter, who is 19th in line to the throne, has already sent out invitations to his wedding to the royal family.
“Both families have been informed jointly of the wedding date by invitation,” a statement on April 1 confirmed.
“Their Majesties The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the announcement.”
Read more about Peter’s partner, Harriet, here.
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