Prince Harry may have been attempting to mend fences with his father ahead of next year’s Invictus Games, but reports that he has not received an invitation to his cousin Peter Phillips’ wedding suggest the royal rift remains far from resolved. What’s more, it is claimed wife Meghan is increasingly eager to separate herself from the drama as she attempts to establish her lifestyle brand, with a royal source telling the Mirror she wants to avoid Harry’s “chaos”.

Peter will marry NHS nurse Harriet Sperling in the Cotswolds on 6 June, with senior royals including King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales in attendance. But Palace sources say the Duke of Sussex, 41, has been excluded once more, as his choice to withdraw from royal duties continues to carry consequences.

Royal author Duncan Larcombe says that even if Harry had been sent an invitation, he would most probably have refused due to his continuing rift with his brother, Prince William, who is expected to attend alongside Peter’s mother, Princess Anne, and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

“The sticking point is William’s attendance,” says Duncan. “Harry’s not going to agree to go to an event where he’s going to be forced to come face to face with his brother, who is absolutely still livid with him.” And while groom Peter may not have any “beef” with his cousin personally, Duncan believes that even had he extended an invitation to Harry and Meghan, “it would have been in the full knowledge that he wouldn’t turn up”.

There is equally little question that Harry’s attendance at the wedding would divert attention from the bride and groom. Last week, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond cautioned that it would be “the biggest no-no” for Harry and Meghan, 44, to overshadow the occasion, adding, “That’s undoubtedly what would happen if Harry, with or without Meghan, went to the wedding.”

“So it seems they have taken the most sensible course, which is to leave the Sussexes off the guest list, along with Peter’s uncle, Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.”

Yet while it is entirely understandable that the happy couple, who first went public with their relationship in May 2024, might not wish Harry to cast a shadow over their special day, it is perhaps rather more surprising that Harry’s own wife is now reportedly growing weary of the controversy surrounding her husband and his family.

Even more remarkable is Harry’s apparent embrace of a celebrity-style existence, which Duncan argues is entirely at odds with his previous assertions about detesting life in the public eye as a youngster. “Meghan’s keeping very busy building her brand, while Harry’s busy coping with his worst nightmare – living life as a pseudo-celebrity royal, which brings with it all the things he hated growing up,” says Duncan.

“He’s stuck in the world of red carpets and camera flashes, which as a child never sat easy with him. Whereas with Meghan, the red carpets and cameras are part of her brand building, so she needs to protect herself from Harry’s chaos in order to achieve what she wants. The fallout with Harry’s family has, without doubt, caused drama throughout their marriage.”

Earlier this year, the couple – who are parents to Archie, seven, and Lilibet, who turns five this week – faced fierce criticism for embarking on what was widely dubbed a quasi-royal tour of Australia, during which the Duke and Duchess attended a string of high-profile engagements.

The pair dominated headlines across the globe with heartfelt speeches, television appearances – including Meghan’s guest appearance on MasterChef Australia – and a number of potentially lucrative business dealings. During a particularly emotional address in Melbourne, Harry risked causing unease at the Palace by speaking of his desire to “cleanse himself of the past” in order to become the finest father he could be to his children.

He also reflected on his earlier resistance to embracing his royal destiny, saying, “I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role. Wherever this is headed, I don’t like it.’ It killed my mum. I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years, fingers in the eyes.”

According to Duncan, his remarks are unlikely to have done anything to mend his fractured relationships with his family back in Britain. “Whenever Harry does any speech at an event, like he did in Australia, it turns into a sort of soap opera, with everyone talking about his family feuds and his relationship with his father and brother,” explains Duncan. “But of course, he keeps bringing his family into virtually everything he does, because that’s literally the only thing about Harry that’s important.

“He’s only relevant because he’s a member of the royal family, but his relationships with them are so strained that any time he mentions them, it creates speculation and more talk of fallouts and feuds.”

With Meghan firmly focused on building her lifestyle brand, As Ever, the ongoing drama surrounding Harry and his family is thought to jar with the upbeat, aspirational image she wishes her products to convey.

“Meghan is very determined, very ambitious, very focused and very driven in her pursuit of building her brand and businesses,” says Duncan. “So I’m not surprised that she is maybe trying to carve her own path.”

Regrettably for Harry, extricating himself from the royal turmoil looks set to be a considerable struggle.