Dyer had left the royal service by then, but his legacy and loyalty continued even as he began his career in hospitality. In 2009, a smart and intelligent person, he succeeded in setting up and running a chain of pubs, before selling them just eight years later for more than £10 million ($19.3 million). Prince Harry was an usher at his wedding in 2010, and that praise returned when he married Meghan at Windsor Castle in 2018.
His son Jasper, who served as a servant, is Prince Harry's godchild. Dyer became godfather to the couple's son, Archie, born in 2019. Their closeness is not in dispute.
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Interestingly, however, after the couple's departure, as shocked courtiers, dismayed friends and grieving family quietly joined either the Sussex or Wales (formerly Cambridge) teams, Dyer's strong links with Harry did not make him persona non grata.
Although he may not speak to William directly, it is understood that he acts as a conduit through which Harry keeps in touch with family and friends in the UK.
“As a former groom, Dyer understands the way royal life works and that is important,” says an unnamed royal insider. “Previously, Kate was acting as a peacemaker but now she is powerless and, having been on the receiving end of one too many Sussex shots, she is understandably less inclined to broker a rapprochement.”
It is Dyer's powerful reputation that puts him in a pivotal position after Migxit – a term that the increasingly thin-skinned Harry regards as a slur, rather than just a word of fun.
If only he had consulted Marco about this and many other things; Like the scene of the children's visit, which seemed very routine, and was over before it began. But clearly he didn't.
In his incendiary memoir 2023 additionalHarry wrote fondly of his role model: “Of all Pa's family, the consensus was that Marco was the best. The toughest, the toughest, the most impulsive.”
He went on to recount the time his father sent Dyer to be interrogated at a boarding school “to find out the truth” about whether he was using drugs. Charles instinctively knew that he was not the right person to handle such a sensitive issue. His worldly horses took him in his stride.
Then, when his youngest son admitted to smoking pot, his father arranged for the shy prince to spend a day at a residential center for drug users in south London – with who else? Marco.
No wonder they remained friends. Fast forward to 2022 and Dyer was diagnosed with stomach cancer. After undergoing a grueling 14-hour surgery, he remained in hospital for six weeks before being discharged.
Last year, his niece, classical soprano Alicia Louise, told reporters that her uncle had “made it through the crisis and is cancer-free.”
Against this backdrop, Dyer can offer insight – albeit hard-won – into the emotional turmoil that the specter of cancer brings.
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As a friend, father, survivor, and confidant, only he can give Harry the perspective — the wake-up call — he will need in the coming weeks and months as his father's cancer treatment continues.
The Telegraph, London
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