The Duke and Duchess of Sussex went on tour to crime-riddled Colombia last year as well as visiting Nigeria, where the murder rate is ten times that in England.
Yet the former Household Cavalry officer felt the risk level was too high for his friend’s London wedding.
That is, I am told, the official explanation for Prince Harry’s absence when Charles Vivian and Saweda Kamara exchanged vows in Chelsea at the weekend.
Yesterday, I disclosed that Harry had failed to attend the marriage ceremony for Lord Vivian, who was in the ‘band of brothers’ photograph at the Sussexes’ wedding in Windsor.
A source close to the duke has since got in touch to say ‘the main reason’ for his absence was that ‘security wasn’t provided for the visit, which makes attending events or moving around the UK very challenging’.
Harry was, though, able to attend the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday for the Court of Appeal hearing into the Home Office’s decision to strip him of taxpayer-funded security when he returns to these shores.
Prince Harry had failed to attend the marriage ceremony for Lord Vivian, pictured, who was in the ‘band of brothers’ photograph at the Sussexes’ wedding in Windsor
Harry and his ‘band of brothers’ at Windsor castle on the night of his own wedding
Harry was, though, able to attend the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday for the Court of Appeal hearing into the Home Office’s decision to strip him of taxpayer-funded security when he returns to these shores
Lord Vivian had confirmed that Harry was invited. When asked why the duke didn’t attend, he told me: ‘I don’t know. He has a lot on.’
Among the guests was the man sometimes known as Harry’s ‘second father’, Mark Dyer, 59, a former Welsh Guards officer.
Dyer introduced Harry to Lord Vivian, who’s a major player in the public relations world and reportedly helped the prince set up several of his charity trips to Africa.
The duke’s absence in Chelsea was particularly notable because he was an usher at Vivian’s first wedding to Elizabeth Wimpress.
Lord Vivian’s was not the first wedding of one of the ‘band of brothers’ he missed. In 2023, I revealed Harry skipped Jack Mann’s nuptials in Suffolk.
Dyer is still close to Harry. Last month I disclosed that he and others had quit as trustees of Harry’s charity Sentebale, prompting the duke to resign in solidarity. It followed a dispute with chairman Sophie Chandauka.