King Charles Coronation: Harry is in, Meghan is out
Prince Harry has finally confirmed that he will be present at the coronation of his father, King Charles III.
It was confirmed that an invite was sent to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on March 4, with an answer still to be seen as of RSVP cut-off on April 3. But now, the prince has revealed that he has accepted, though Meghan will remain at home in California with their two young children.
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation service,” a spokesperson for the palace said.
“The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
A close friend of the couple has since explained that their son Archie was a major factor in their decision, as he will turn four on May 6 - the day of his grandfather Charles’ coronation.
Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family, went on to warn fans - and critics - of the family to “expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.”
As Page Six have reported, the pair made the choice that felt “genuine in authentic” in the wake of what has transpired since the release of Harry’s memoir, Spare. And while Meghan will not be in attendance, she “fully supports” her husband doing so.
“The words that Harry and Meghan have said about the importance of their family are lining up with their actions,” a source told the publication.
“They care about their family, so Meghan is going to stay and Harry is going to support his dad.”
Still, it wasn’t an easy decision for the Sussexes to make as a family, with that same source revealing that it had nothing to do with any alleged “controlling” within the relationship. As they explained, if Meghan was “super controlling” - as many critics choose to label her - then “she would have made sure that Harry didn’t go.
“She’s all good, she supports Harry - they both have nothing more to prove.”
BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchel had another point to make on the matter of the royal family’s rift, explaining that “the bad feeling that that has undoubtedly been caused within the royal family towards him, a strong sense of betrayal ... this is a moment perhaps of some reconciliation.”
And for those still questioning their intentions, another source had more to add, noting that there “is not one right answer”, something the couple must have been well aware of while weighing up all the different - and significant - elements of accepting or declining their invite.
“Prince Harry is going to support his dad,” they confirmed, before going on to add that he would then be coming straight home to spend time with his son for his important day, too.
“For all the people who say they want to be half in and half out of the royal family,” they surmised, “this proves just the opposite.”
Images: Getty