Friends of the War Brothers point out that Harry’s “preferred usher” Jack Mann was his best man

Prince Harry has opened up about how his performance as Prince William’s best man at the 2011 royal wedding was “all for the show”.

And now, friends of the bickering brothers are suggesting the same strategy may have been used during Harry’s 2018 wedding.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: “There have long been rumors within Harry’s circle that there is another secret groomsman. William was the high-profile best man, but not the only best man, nor the true best man in Harry’s eyes.’

Harry had several ushers on his big day, including fellow polo player Jack Mann and his closest friend Charlie van Straubenzee, brother of Prince William’s best friend Thomas.

Prince William and Prince Harry at the Duke of Sussex’s wedding to Meghan Markle. Friends of Harry’s have now suggested there was “another best man” at the wedding besides William

Friends of the War Brothers have now said that Prince Harry also had “another best man”, suggesting that fellow polo player Jack Mann has taken on the role of best usher

Prince William and his wife Kate on their wedding anniversary on April 29, 2011, followed by Prince Harry and Kate’s maid of honor and sister Pippa Middleton. In his sensational tell-all book, Spare, Harry claimed he was forced to go along with his brother’s ‘blatant lie’ that he was the best man

Some friends believe it was an usher acting as best man and expressed surprise that Spare’s detail had been omitted as Harry had admitted to being a fake best man to William.

According to a friend, Mr Mann has long been referred to as Harry’s preferred usher – or “best man” – by those close to him.

Mr Mann, who is newly engaged, invited the Duchess of Sussex to dinner parties at his west London home in the early days of her courtship of Harry.

However, it is believed that he has broken up with Harry since they were married. In Spare, the prince explains that appearances can be deceptive at royal weddings, revealing that it was an “outrageous lie” that he was William’s best man.

Prince Harry sensationally claimed in the book Spare that he was forced to go along with his brother’s “blatant lie” that he was the best man at their wedding in 2011 (pictured above at Westminster Abbey).

Harry has also claimed there was a falling out between himself and the Prince of Wales after calling Meghan Markle “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”. Pictured together after the Queen’s death in September 2022

Prince William’s close friends Thomas Van Straubenzee (left) and James Meade (right) gave the traditional best man speech at the couple’s reception – rather than Prince Harry

He said his brother’s close friends, James Meade and Thomas Van Straubenzee, actually gave the traditional speech at the reception.

He said, “Willy didn’t want me to give a best man’s speech.”

At Harry’s wedding, Meghan broke with tradition by delivering a fairytale-like speech herself, but Prince William has never been reported to have spoken at length – and if he did, Harry doesn’t describe him in spare.

Instead, he says his brother ruined the dinner seating plan by swapping place cards at his table so that couples were seated separately, as is traditional in England.

It was Meghan’s preference that couples should sit together.

Harry also explains that William did not want to spend time with him the night before the ceremony and only attended a pre-wedding ushers’ dinner after the Queen’s intervention. Last night Mr Mann said, “I’m not going to say anything about that.”

In other claims in the 557-page memoir, the prince recounted how just hours before his marriage to Kate, William was “drunk on last night’s rum” while greeting members of the public gathered on the Mall at Buckingham Palace.

Harry recalls saying to his brother, “You smell like alcohol,” before handing him mints as he rolled down the car window.

The comments come amid his deeply personal exchange of words with William – who he accused of pushing him into a dog bowl during a blazing row at Nottingham Cottage in 2019.

The fight reportedly broke out after William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.

In another alleged fight, Harry claimed his brother “lunged” at him and “twice grabbed his shirt” in front of King Charles during an argument over Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Harry said William used a secret code phrase about her mother Princess Diana during the fight after Prince Phillip’s funeral.

Harry has spoken openly about wanting to reconcile with his father and siblings, despite his extraordinary claims that have plunged the royal family into the worst crisis since his mother’s death in 1997.