Prince George didn’t travel north for the wedding of his godfather the Duke of Westminster.
On June 7, the 10-year-old royal was not among the 400 guests, including his father Prince William and the Prince of Wales’ cousin Princess Eugenie, at the high-society wedding of his godfather Hugh Grosvenor to Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral.
Although a reason wasn’t disclosed, Prince George’s absence might have been due to a practical reason: the nuptials took place on a school day. Earlier in the week, Prince William revealed that his 9-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, was taking exams at school, and her big brother may also be testing this week.
In addition, Prince William was busy at the church ceremony for his friend’s wedding, acting as an usher. Kate Middleton, who is undergoing cancer treatment, did not attend the ceremony, which could have been another reason their son couldn’t join the festivities.
The Prince of Wales and Princess Eugenie amongst guests at the Chester Cathedral wedding of the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson. pic.twitter.com/JrbubnxsiM
— Mark Stewart (@RegalEyes) June 7, 2024
Hugh, now 33, was revealed as one of Prince George’s godparents in October 2013. The honor continued a tradition between his family and the British royals, as the Duke of Westminster is a godson of King Charles, and his mother, Natalia, is a godmother to Prince William.
“Godparents are among the most important people at a christening, who make big promises to encourage their godchild to grow in faith and commit to helping them understand how to live their life in a Christian way,” the Church of England states.
“Every child should have at least three godparents, two of the same sex and at least one of the opposite sex to your child. Although there is no official maximum number of godparents, three or four is usual,” the church adds — though Prince George has seven!
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Prince William and Kate asked Hugh, William’s cousin Zara, William and Prince Harry’s former private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, friends Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson and William van Cutsem and Princess Diana’s friend Julia Samuel to be godparents to their first child.
According to a royal source, the group of godparents was picked because William and Kate “wanted to include family and friends and reflect their life on both sides.”
Prince George isn’t the only member of the next generation to call Hugh his godfather. The Duke of Westminster is also a godfather to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 5-year-old son, Prince Archie.
PEOPLE confirms that the Duke of Sussex, 39, was invited to the Duke of Westminster’s wedding on June 7, which was anticipated as the society wedding of the year. However, there was an acknowledgment on both sides that it would be difficult for Harry to attend.
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