While royals of yesteryear might have settled their disputes with armed combat, the dukes and duchesses of the 21st century prefer to do battle on the field of never-ending popularity contests.

And Team Windsor just hit Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the social equivalent of a lance through the helmet.

According to a new report from The Sunday Times Harry and Meghan have not been invited to the upcoming wedding of Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson.

Now, Hugh and Olivia are not exactly household names, so you might be wondering what the big deal is.

Well, it turns out that Mr. Grosvenor is not only the Duke of Westminster but also the godfather of Harry and Meghan’s only son, Prince Archie.

Needless to say, when you bestow such an honor upon a close friend, and you learn that said friend is getting married, you expect to find an invitation in your mailbox.

But it seems that Harry and Meghan did not make the cut for Hugh and Olivia’s June nuptials.

Insiders say Grosvenor still holds the Sussexes in high regard, but he left them off the guest list for fear that an awkward scene would overshadow his bride’s big day.

“It’s incredibly sad it has come to this,” a source close to the situation told the Times.

“He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia and doesn’t want any awkwardness,” the insider added.

According to the source, the snub is especially painful for the Sussexes, as Grosvenor is one of very few friends of Harry’s who has maintained ties with the couple in the years since they relocated to California.

“Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both,” the source said.

“He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realizes it’s unlikely to happen before the wedding.”

Grosvenor has likely been keeping a close eye on the tensions within the royal family in the hope that these warring factions might betray some hint that they’re willing to resume peace talks.

Things were looking up last month when Charles accepted a phone call from Harry and Meghan on his birthday.

Unfortunately, the feud heated up again just a few weeks later when journalist and longtime Sussex supporter Omid Scobie alleged that Charles and Kate Middleton made racist remarks to Meghan while she was living in London.

UK tabloid The Telegraph has now fired back with allegations that Meghan was frequently rude to Kate over the same period of time.

“I think there was always a sense that Meghan felt she was a self-made woman whereas Kate hadn’t really had her own career,” one insider told the outlet, adding:

“She seemed to feel like she had more of a right to speak than her sister-in-law, who had married into the family as an unknown whereas Meghan regarded herself as a philanthropist who could teach the royals a thing or two about charity.”

Charles, Kate, and Prince William have all reportedly been invited to Hugh and Olivia’s wedding.

It’s unfortunate that the Sussexes had to be left out, but Grosvenor is likely correct in his belief that inviting the entire royal family would have made for one very awkward scene.

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Endure Humiliating Snub as They’re Denied … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.