Harry to attend King’s coronation, but Meghan will miss ceremony
The Duke of Sussex is to attend his father the King’s coronation, but the Duchess of Sussex will miss the historic occasion and stay in California with the couple’s children, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Harry, who laid bare his troubled relationship with the royal family in his controversial Netflix documentary and autobiography Spare, will be there to witness Charles and stepmother the Queen Consort be crowned in Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Meghan will not travel to the UK and instead stay in the US with the couple’s children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The Palace said in a brief statement on Wednesday: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May.“
The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
The news ends months of “Will they? Won’t they?” speculation about whether the couple would show up to the King’s big day, but will undoubtedly see Meghan accused of snubbing the monarch and the royal family.
May 6 is Archie’s fourth birthday, and the youngster’s celebrations played a part in the duchess’s decision to remain in the US, sources said.
Archewell, Harry and Meghan’s charitable foundation, issued a near identical statement to the Palace confirming the duke will join guests at the coronation.
Harry’s attendance will see him appear in a public setting with Charles, Camilla, his brother the Prince of Wales, sister in law the Princess of Wales and the rest of his family for the first time since he lambasted the royals in his memoirs.
It will also be the first time he has been pictured with the Windsors since the funeral of his grandmother the late Queen.
Harry criticised Charles’s parenting, said the King was jealous of Meghan and Kate, and accused William of physically attacking him in his tell-all book, which was published in January.
He also branded Camilla “dangerous” and accused her of sacrificing him on her own “personal PR altar”.
The duke went on to allege it was William and Kate who encouraged him to notoriously dress up as a Nazi at a fancy dress party.
Harry’s inflammatory claims were seen as damaging his fragile relationship with his brother, a future king, beyond repair, and further troubling his dealings with the King and the rest of the family.
In the three years since the Sussexes stepped down as senior working royals, the couple have been critical of the monarchy, telling their story in their Netflix documentary and in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Harry and Meghan were asked earlier this year to vacate their UK home Frogmore Cottage, in a move sanctioned by the King.
It is unclear what the arrangements will be for Harry’s security while he is in London.
The duke is taking legal action against the Home Office over his security arrangements in the UK.
It has not been confirmed whether or not Harry will play any particular role in the coronation ceremony, whether he will join the carriage procession or appear on the Palace balcony with the royal family in the celebrations afterwards.