Prince Harry misses ‘best man’s’ big day: Sussexes don’t attend wedding of polo chum Jack Mann

The Duke of Sussex stood shoulder to shoulder with Jack Mann and his other closest confederates in the ‘band of brothers’ photograph at Windsor Castle on the night of the royal wedding.

And, after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials, it was suggested that Mann was not just one of the ushers but was, in fact, his ‘real’ best man, rather than Prince William. 

So there was disappointment at the weekend among royal fans that Harry and Meghan were not present at Mann’s own big day.

Mann, 40, exchanged vows with osteopath Isabella Clark at St Peter’s church in Stutton, Suffolk, where guests included Harry’s friend Thomas van Straubenzee, godfather of Princess Charlotte. 

Van Straubenzee was accompanied by his wife, Lucy, an assistant head at Charlotte and Prince George’s former school, Thomas’s. 

Guests included Harry’s friend Thomas van Straubenzee, godfather of Princess Charlotte

Harry and Meghan were spotted holding hands, smiling and laughing as they left an office building in Santa Barbara, California on Friday

The Duke of Sussex stood shoulder to shoulder with Jack Mann and his other closest confederates in the ‘band of brothers’ photograph at Windsor Castle on the night of the royal wedding

It’s not clear how close Harry remains to Mann, whom he met at Sandhurst where both were commissioned into the Blues and Royals.

The Duke admits in his memoirs, Spare, that he fell out with some of his old pals after he attacked the Royal Family on television.

Mann has been in the headlines himself recently. He is co-founder of private security company Alma Risk and had a business trip to Libya interrupted last year.

‘We did not continue the journey from Malta on the advice of Maltese immigration to rectify our paperwork,’ Mann subsequently explained to the Daily Mail. 

‘The issue was resolved within five days,’ he added, explaining that Alma Risk was providing medical training for Libyan clients.

The exploits of his father — Old Etonian adventurer and former SAS officer Simon Mann — mean that the family name can sometimes generate unfortunate attention. Mann senior was a participant in the ‘Wonga coup’ of 2004.

Intended to remove Teodoro Obiang, president of Equatorial Guinea, from power, it ended in Simon’s imprisonment and Obiang threatening to eat his testicles.

The exploits of his father — Old Etonian adventurer and former SAS officer Simon Mann(pictured) — mean that the family name can sometimes generate unfortunate attention. Mann senior was a participant in the ‘Wonga coup’ of 2004.

Prince Harry played polo with Jack Mann when the pair were younger

The couple were accompanied by an unidentified man presumed to be a member of their security detail

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were all smiles during their first public outing since their eviction from Frogmore Cottage. The couple are pictured on Friday in Santa Barbara, California

Mann Snr survived a total of five years’ captivity and returned home intact. 

He was on hand to toast the happy couple but declines to discuss the celebrations, telling me: ‘I’m in ‘no comment’ mode.’

The wedding was held near the bride’s family seat. 

The daughter of property hot shot Stephen Clark, her home is a magnificent, crenelated, 17th-century pile, with sweeping lawns down to a river.