Who is Prince Harry’s friend, Lord Vivian – and why did the Duke of Sussex miss his wedding? The PR expert often travelled to Botswana with the royal, and attended his and Meghan Markle’s 2018 nuptials

Apr 12 , 2025

Lord Charles Vivian (left) and Prince Harry go back years, but the prince did not attend his pal’s recent wedding in London, despite being in the UK at the time. Photos: Netflix; AP

Prince Harry may have been in the UK for a court case this week, but the timing still didn’t work well enough for him to attend his friend Lord Vivian’s wedding; ‘He has a lot on,’ said the aristocrat

Prince Harry has been causing a stir again, after it was revealed that he didn’t attend one of his closest friend’s weddings in London over the weekend.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was in London for a court hearing around the time of his close friend’s wedding, but didn’t attend. Photo: Reuters

His pal, Lord Charles Vivian, confirmed that the Duke of Sussex had indeed been invited to his nuptials, but wasn’t able to go. When asked by the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden why the duke couldn’t attend, Lord Vivian said: “I don’t know. He has a lot on.”

Harry, who is now based in California with his wife Meghan Markle, had been in the UK for a court appeal over his security arrangements at the time of the wedding, per People magazine. A source told the magazine that he didn’t join the wedding as he was unable to get security for his visit to the nation.

Lord Vivian, 58, tied the knot with his wife Saweda Kamara at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London on Saturday. He was among the guests at Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding to Markle.

Here’s what we know about him.

Lord Vivian has a noteworthy lineage

Lord Vivian (second left) and Prince Harry (centre) let their hair down after a formal event. Photo: Netflix

Lord Vivian’s full name is Lord Charles Crespigny Hussey Vivian, also known as the 7th Baron Vivian. He was featured in a group photo depicting Harry’s “band of brothers” in the Netflix series, Harry & Meghan.

He works in PR

Lord Charles Crespigny Hussey Vivian, better known as Lord Vivian. Photo: Charles Vivian/LinkedIn

Lord Vivian is a prominent player in the PR world, according to the Daily Mail. He currently works as a partner at Tavistock PR, with a focus on Africa.

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Faye Bradley

Faye Bradley is a Hong Kong-based contributing online editor for Style by SCMP, where she covers topics in luxury, pop culture, celebrity, influencer, entertainment, travel, trending news, food and drinks, and lifestyle. As a freelance writer, her work has been featured in CNN Style, Business Insider, Michelin Guide, Travel + Leisure Asia, China Daily, Design Anthology, BurdaLuxury, Skyscanner, and Hong Kong Tourism Board. With a BA (Hons) in art and design from the University of Leeds, she is the co-founder of Paradigm Haus, a print publication that covers artists, creatives and entrepreneurs the world over, and the founder of CSP Times, a digital luxury lifestyle website. She is also an editor for luxury wellness travel publication Compare Retreats.

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