Why Prince Harry Missed the Duke of Westminster's Wedding, Where Prince William Was an Usher

A source tells PEOPLE that Harry's RSVP was an "understanding between the two friends"

Prince Harry did not make the trip across the pond for the wedding of his friend Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, was not among the 400 guests at the high-society wedding of Hugh and Olivia Henson in northern England on June 7.

Harry's brother, Prince William, had a formal role at the nuptials at Chester Cathedral, serving as an usher. The brother's cousin Princess Eugenie also attended the event.

Earlier in the week, PEOPLE confirmed that Prince Harry had been invited to the celebration. However, there was an acknowledgment on both sides that it would be difficult for him to attend. The Duke of Sussex has been based in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, since they stepped back from their royal roles in 2020, and the couple no longer has access to their former Frogmore Cottage home as a base during U.K. stays.

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A source describes the conversation between Harry and Hugh as "an understanding between the two friends." An insider close to the bride and groom tells PEOPLE that the two mutually agreed on the decision for Harry not to come.

The Duke of Sussex sends "his love and support and admiration for the couple" for their wedding day, the source tells PEOPLE.

Before he announced his engagement to Olivia in April 2023, Hugh was heralded as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors. His family's estimated net worth of $12.8 billion makes him the richest person in the U.K. under age 40 and the 14th wealthiest overall, according to The Sunday Times' Rich List 2024, and his family background is full of royal connections.

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The 7th Duke of Westminster is a godfather to Prince William's eldest son Prince George, 10, and Prince Harry's son Prince Archie, 5. Hugh is a godson of King Charles, and his mother, Natalia, is a godmother to Prince William.

Natalia was a childhood friend of the late Princess Diana and became the Duchess of Westminster when she married Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor in 1978. They welcomed four children, and as the only son, Hugh inherited the Duke of Westminster title and control of his family's fortune when his father died at age 64 in 2016.

Prince William and Prince Harry previously attended a Grosvenor family wedding, serving as ushers at the nuptials of Hugh's older sister, Lady Tamara, to Edward van Cutsem (another godson of King Charles) in 2004. The brothers helped the 650 guests to their seats at Chester Cathedral at the nuptials attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

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King Charles, Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton did not attend the wedding on June 7. The King and Queen were in France on June 6 for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, and the trip was significant as the King's first overseas since the palace announced his cancer diagnosis in February.

While the Prince and Princess of Wales usually attend weddings together, Princess Kate has been outside of the spotlight since announcing on March 22 that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

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