It was a day of celebration for one of Prince Harry’s closest confidants as Mark Dyer attended his niece’s wedding over the weekend.
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A former Welsh guards officer, Dyer has been dubbed a ‘surrogate father’ to the Duke of Sussex and features heavily in the royal’s controversial memoir, Spare. The trusted royal aide became a steadying figure to Princes William and Harry in the mid-90s while working as an equerry to the then Prince of Wales. Later, he was tasked with accompanying Prince Harry on his jet-set gap year.
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In recent months, Dyer has undergone treatment for stomach cancer. However he was happily well enough to attend the wedding of his niece, Alicia Lowes, the celebrated soprano, to rower Alex Simpson at St Teilo’s Church in Llantilio Crossenny in Monmouthshire, the Daily Mail reports. The service was also attended by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland whose daughter, Lady Melissa, gave birth to twin sons last month.
‘Last year was hell for Mark, but he's turned the corner and is cancer-free,’ Alicia told Richard Eden ahead of the wedding. Among the pageboys was Dyer’s son, Jasper. While some schoolboys might worry about the pressure of such an event, it was unlikely to have been a concern for Jasper, who successfully performed the role at the wedding of his godfather, the Duke of Sussex, in May 2018.
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Cheltenham College alumnus Dyer, affectionately known as ‘Marko’, joined Prince Harry on trips to Argentina and Australia. In Lesotho, Harry spent two months working at the invitation of Prince Seeiso, a friend of Dyer’s, and the two royals would later found their charity, Sentebale. Dyer was later made a director of the organisation.
Prince Harry and ‘Marko’ remained close as the prince joined the Army. The numerous accounts of Marko’s guidance, support and kindness in Spare make clear what a positive and important influence the aide had on the royal.
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In a testament to their relationship, Prince Harry served as an usher at Dyer’s 2010 wedding to Amanda Kline. Dyer is understood to have returned the favour and played a part in Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle. Photos made public in the Sussexes’ Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, include one showing Harry with his arms around Marko and other men in his inner circle.
