Mounting front mudguard/fender. Do I have to remove wheel?

Long story short, I was hit by a car last year and one fender strut broke. The bike is miraculously OK BTW

Since insurance will pay for replacement I opted for a new fender. After some delay Harper's came through with a colour matched replacement.
In this brave new world I have to be prepared for there to be no shop open. Businesses are closing daily around here. Plus I don't have this years tags yet so I can't even ride it to a shop.

Do I have to remove the wheel to re & re a front mudguard? I can't see any obvious way to take the fender off otherwise but perhaps someone here knows.

I ask because I don't have a lift or any way to rig a straps from above to lift the bike. Plus I don't have a socket large enough.

No, you don’t. Just a little flex allows it to squeeze between the forks. I did this when I installed the fender extender. I don’t remember exactly how I did it, but it ended up being much easier than it looked.

I'm keen to try it, but reluctant to break it. it took me two months to get the fender here and I imagine nigh impossible to get another right now.

Give it a go, but gently. I have considerable experience breaking things, yet I managed without much trouble.