Prince Harry will attend the king’s coronation alone. What role will he play in the ceremony?
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Prince Harry will attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla alone. His wife, Meghan Markle, will stay at home in California with their two children.
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” Buckingham Palace shared in a statement, per The Guardian.
Harry wanted to attend the ceremony to support his father during this important event in his life, a source told People magazine.
The announcement ends months of speculation over whether the couple would be in attendance at the ceremony.
Harry’s involvement in the ceremony — such as if he will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony — has not been revealed.
Only working royals are given the privilege of appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Last year, at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebration, Harry and Meghan were not invited to join the working royals on the balcony.
“After careful consideration, the Queen has decided this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance ... will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen,” a spokesperson for the queen said at the time, per Harper’s Bazaar.
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Harry and Meghan’s coronation ‘demands’
Harry and Meghan — who voluntarily left their royal duties behind in 2020 and moved to California to pursue lives as non-royals — previously made personal “demands” for the coronation ceremony.
The couple allegedly made “demands” that their children be part of the ceremony, and that their whole family appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony, according to Cosmopolitan.
In addition, the couple requested “a nod” to Archie’s fourth birthday, which lands on the same day as the coronation. Meghan will celebrate Archie’s fourth birthday from home, a source told People.
It is clear the couple’s conditions will not be met as Harry attends the ceremony without his wife and children.
A ‘lose-lose’ situation
According to royal experts, the couple were in a “lose-lose situation” no matter what they chose regarding the coronation ceremony.
“It’s really lose-lose for the Sussexes unless the rest of the family suddenly decides to do an about-face and embrace them,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News. “I don’t see that happening. There is too much bitterness there. Too many bridges have been burned.”
“So, if Harry and Meghan attend the coronation, they will almost certainly be sidelined and visibly shunned,” Anderson continued.
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Harry has not been with his family publicly since ‘Spare’
Harry has not publicly appeared with his family since the release of his controversial memoir, “Spare” in January.
The memoir exposed personal family details — such as a physical altercation between Harry and William — as well as a fair share of embarrassing stories from his own past, like the time he peed his pants before his first date with Meghan.
“There’s a great sense of mistrust, it’s why William won’t speak to Harry, because he is nervous that anything he says might end up in a book or a TV series. It makes it incredibly difficult for any kind of rapprochement. There has to be give on both sides and I don’t see that happening any time soon,” a source told Vanity Fair.
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