Well, royal fans, we've all been waiting, and now, the verdict is officially in: Prince Harry will
be attending King Charles III's coronation, but there's a big twist. Here's the latest.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took their time accepting Charles' coronation invitation,
and there's been plenty of speculation as to what exactly was being discussed in the interim,
as well as what their final decision would be. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson has now announced,
"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 fact that the children won't be attending is noteworthy, considering the fact that
Archie and Lilibet's role in Charles's coronation has been up for debate as well
In fact, it was even reported that they weren't originally invited to the ceremony,
at all. As Omid Scobie, a royal journalist and close friend of the Sussexes, revealed on Twitter,
"I understand that Archie's fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a
factor in the couple's decision. 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 far as the palace is concerned, it's safe to say that this is a big win. In light of
the bad blood between the Sussexes and the senior royals, there was really no way for
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to RSVP to the coronation without causing a bit of awkwardness.
Ultimately, it seems that their final decision minimizes the discomfort and bad
optics all around, which wasn't an easy outcome to achieve. A source close to the family spoke
to People about how important Harry's presence at the ceremony is to his father, explaining,
"It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to
witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don't sort it out,
it will always be part of the king's reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has
had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue."
"I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan
as they continue to build their lives overseas."
While this move doesn't mean that it's all water under the bridge in terms of this royal feud,
Meghan and Harry's decision likely means that things are moving in the right direction.
In the end, both Charles's coronation and Prince Archie's upcoming birthday
celebrations are set to make May 6th a very happy day for the famous family.
We're mere weeks away from King Charles' historic coronation,
so with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's long-awaited response to the coronation
invite finally set in stone, it seems that most plans for the big day are in place.
Prince Harry will be among over 2,000 guests at King Charles' ceremony,
but since he is no longer a working member of the royal family, he isn't likely to have a major role
in the coronation. As was the case for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, Harry won't
appear with his father on the Buckingham Palace balcony like the other working royals will.
Since Harry's brother, Prince William, is officially the next in line for the
throne once Charles begins his reign, he'll be occupying a vital role in the ceremony.
Even his son Prince George's coronation role is reportedly going to be a big one.
As for Harry and Charles, it's certain that the Duke of Sussex's relationship to the ceremony will
be a bittersweet one. Yet, seeing as this will be Harry's first time seeing his fellow royals after
the release of his wave-making memoir, "Spare," which set more bad blood among the royals in
motion, everyone will have to put on a happy face during the reunion, whether they want to or not.