King Charles' coronation planning isn't going very well, by the sounds of it.
For one thing, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have yet to confirm whether they will be attending the event, even though it's less than a month away at this stage. They even reportedly missed the RSVP deadline on April 3.
This, according to insiders who spoke to the Mirror, means that the seating plans for the event can't be finalized at this stage.
But that's not the only stumbling block right now.
"It’s all very frantic, complete chaos to be frank," one not particularly drama-averse source said.
"There is a plan, which is supposed to be the blueprint of how the day should operate, but things are changing daily which is causing massive headaches."
Other sources confirmed that the planning is tight, but felt assured that everything would be in place by the time May 6 rolls around.
"It’s fair to say it will go down to the wire, but there is huge confidence everything will go to plan on the day," one said.
"This is naturally a huge event and the important point is everyone is pulling in the right direction.
"The King and Queen Consort want it to be perfect as does everyone involved which is why everything is being done to make it so."
There is also a lot of concern around increased republicanism in the U.K., and what this might meet for royal supporter in-person turnout as well as TV viewership.
"Everything should be planned to the minute and such overruns would be a disaster," one source said.
"If the service is too long, or too complicated, the television audience will turn off and that could be devastating.
"(We) want to create a sense of majesty and Charles and Camilla have seen months of protests by a growing republican movement."
The Mirror reports that the King and Queen have had eggs thrown at them during public appearances, although Buckingham Palace denied at least one of these incidents had occurred.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that they had received an invitation in early March, but refused to say whether they would be attending. Their relationship with the rest of the Royal Family has been steadily declining since they left the U.K. in early 2020.
Since their reception at the Queen's Jubilee last year wasn't the warmest, it's easy to see why they might be reluctant to attend the coronation. However, their lack of response doesn't seem like a point-blank refusal, so we should still see where it all goes from here.
