While Prince Harry was in attendance at King Charles' coronation, after a lot of talk about whether or not he'd come to London for his father's big day, he apparently did not stay long. After many tuned in for the historic coronation on the 2023 TV schedule, it was reported that the Duke of Sussex left London a few hours later.
After the crowning of King Charles, it was reported that Prince Harry left for the airport only hours after the ceremony ended, per People. While it's a bit surprising the prince left so quickly, it was explained earlier that he wouldn't be staying in the UK long, as the coronation fell on the same day as his son Archie's 4th birthday.
The original plan reportedly was the prince would fly to London on Friday, attend the service Saturday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and then take a 10-hour flight back to California, so he could be with his family by Saturday evening, considering the time change.
This ceremony served as a major reunion for Prince Harry and the royal family, as he hadn't been seen publicly with them since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September. However, the Duke of Sussex was not sitting close to his brother or father during the ceremony. He also did not appear on the balcony after the ceremony, so overall he wasn't seen much with his immediate family.
When it came to the ceremony, Prince Harry attended alone, and played a much smaller role in the coronation. He was not invited to stand on the balcony with his father, brother and other members of the family (including 5-year-old Prince Louis who the internet loved). Before the big day, royal experts had weighed in on the chance of this happening, saying they expected the Duke of Sussex to be “on the sidelines.”
Insiders have claimed that as the Duke of Sussex announced he’d be going to the ceremony without his wife and kids things were “strained” between the prince and his father. While things have always been a bit turbulent between Prince Harry and his family, especially after he and Meghan Markle decided to move to the United States, the release of Spare, and all the allegations and revelations that came from it definitely made things seem more tense between the royal family members.
It’s unclear who Prince Harry interacted with during his speedy trip to the U.K. outside of those he sat with. Up to this point he hadn’t been publicly seen with King Charles or Prince William. As more news continues to come out about the Duke of Sussex and his brief trip to London for his dad’s coronation, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. But, for now, the prince is on a plane, headed home for his young son’s birthday.
