Tensions are undoubtedly high between the Royal Family and Prince Harry, following the release of his and Meghan Markle’s docuseries on Netflix and his tell-all memoir Spare that saw a record-breaking release this month. That makes it all the more awkward that the palace is in the midst of planning for King Charles’ coronation in May, including the role(s) that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will play in it. While nothing regarding the Harry & Meghan subjects has been made official, royal insiders believe it is unlikely they will appear next to the rest of the Royal Family members at the big event.
Coronation Day will take place Saturday, May 6, when Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, accompanied by a grand parade each way. Upon their return to the palace, the King and Queen Consort will be joined by family members to wave from the balcony, and it is believed that just like last year’s Queen's Platinum Jubilee, that moment will be restricted to working royals, The Mirror reports, excluding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as Prince Andrew, who stepped down from his official role in 2019 after allegations of sexual abuse.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to forgo their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, and after the wild allegations Prince Harry made in Spare about his family, many have wondered whether he and Meghan Markle would even be invited to the coronation. Royal commentator Ingrid Seward told The Sun she thinks Harry will be there, with or without his wife. According to the source:
I’m sure Harry will be there. How can he not come to his dad’s Coronation after writing a whole book about forgiveness? I am not so sure about Meghan.
Complicating matters further, Coronation Day — the first of a three-day celebration — falls on the 4th birthday of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie, who has been at the center of one of the biggest accusations made against the Royal Family. During a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex said when she was pregnant with Archie, Harry had been approached by unnamed members of his family with “concerns” about the color of the baby’s skin.
In Spare, Prince Harry made a number of claims regarding King Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton. He wrote of being attacked by his brother after he and the Prince of Wales fought about Meghan Markle, and said his brother and Kate encouraged him to wear a Nazi costume to a party in 2005. He told of hurtful jokes his father made about him, inspiring the book’s title (which is arguably more brutal when translated in other countries) and said Camilla sacrificed him to the media to repair her own public image.
There’s sure to be more to come on Prince Harry’s plans for the coronation in the coming months. In the meantime, Spare is available to purchase in multiple formats, and Harry & Meghan can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.
