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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Ellie Muir

From Prince Harry to Joanna Lumley: Who is attending King Charles’s coronation?

Getty Images / PA Images

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will be joined by 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey for their coronation on 6 May.

Among the senior members of the royal family, a number of celebrities, actors, and politicians in attendance. The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the ceremony.

After months of speculation surrounding whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the event, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday 12 April that Prince Harry will attend. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will stay at home with their children, Archie and Lilbet.

Meanwhile, The Independent understands that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York has not been invited by the King.

Here are all of the royals and celebrities who have confirmed they will be attending the King’s coronation:

Prince Harry

Prince Harry will attend the coronation of his father and Queen Camilla, while his wife, Meghan Markle, will stay at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is believed that Meghan’s decision to stay is, in part, to do with the fact that the coronation date of 6 May falls on Archie’s fourth birthday.

The news comes after months of speculation over whether the couple would attend the 6 May ceremony.

The Duke of Sussex has been seeking an apology from his family, according to his round of television interviews in January.

Despite the Duke’s insistence that he wanted to reconcile with his father and brother, there has been no word of any meaningful reunion with Charles and William since the many personal family revelations made in his memoir, Spare.

“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May,” the royal statement said on Wednesday. “The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”

Prince Harry will attend his father’s coronation without his wife (REUTERS)

Prince William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales

As heir to the throne, William will be in attendance with his wife Kate, Princess of Wales, and will likely be very close to the King and Queen Consort throughout the day. They are expected to follow behind the monarch and his wife in the royal procession with their children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four.

Prince William is next in line to the throne after King Charles (PA)

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie

Though the King and Queen have decided not to invite Sarah Ferguson to the coronation, her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie will likely attend the event, as they are 10th and 11th in line to the British throne.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice looking at the flowers left for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Balmoral Castle (WireImage)

Zara and Mike Tindall

Zara Tindall, the granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and niece of King Charles III, will likely be attending the coronation with her husband. Mike Tindall recently appeared on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and was also present with Zara at the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Zara is 20th in the line of succession to the throne.

Zara Tindall is the daughter of Princess Anne, the late Queen’s younger sister (PA)

Dame Joanna Lumley

Sky News announced on Thursday (13 April) that the Absolutely Fabulous star will be joining correspondents Alastair Bruce, Kay Burley and Anna Botting as a special guest in the news coverage on the day, fresh from attending the coronation service.

The statement reads: “The actress will join the Sky News line-up on Saturday fresh from attending the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey as a guest of the King and Queen Consort.”

Lumley is reportedly a “close friend” of King Charles and attended his wedding to Camilla in 2005.

Dame Joanna Lumley will be a special guest on Sky News’s coronation coverage (PA Archive)

The actor has previously said she won’t watch Netflix’s hit series The Crown, which is based on the British royal family.

“I know them [the royal family], so I know it’s all made up and it’s rubbish,” she told Women’s Weekly previously.

She added: “All the poor actors who are doing their best to copy them, it’s awful. Imagine somebody making up conversations they think you’ve had.”

Jill Biden

Jill Biden will be repesenting the US president at the King’s coronation (AFP via Getty Images)

US President Joe Biden has revealed that he will not be attending King Charles III’s coronation and that his wife Jill Biden will be going without him.

The White House confirmed in a readout of Biden’s call with the King, shared on 4 April, that the first lady will be going to the coronation in May to represent the US.

“The President congratulated the King on his upcoming Coronation and informed him that First Lady Jill Biden looks forward to attending on behalf of the United States,” the statement read.

Keep up to speed with all of the latest royal news via The Independent’s liveblog.

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