It's one of the most stressful aspects of throwing a big party: chasing up invited guests for their RSVPs as the date looms.
For King Charles III, speculation over the attendance of two guests is threatening to overshadow what could be the biggest event of his life.
With the King's coronation less than a month away, his youngest son Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are remaining silent on whether they will fly to London for the ceremony.
It's no secret that relations between the couple and the King are tense after Prince Harry published his memoir Spare earlier this year.
In his book, the Duke of Sussex claimed he and his wife stepped back as working royals in 2020 because of his family's lack of support as she endured racist bullying from the tabloids.
In his media tour, Prince Harry had especially harsh words for his stepmother, Camilla, the Queen Consort, who will be crowned alongside King Charles on May 6.
But even though an invitation has been sent to Prince Harry and the duchess's California home, the couple has neither accepted or declined to attend.
Last week, a spokesman for the couple told the BBC they had "no update" on their plans.
Their silence puts the King, the Queen Consort and the palace in an extremely awkward position.
Aside from the logistics of confirming seating at Westminster Abbey and telling the caterer how many meals to make, a no-show from the King's son might contribute to a perception that his coronation lacks the glitz and glamour of previous ceremonies.
A string of British pop stars have declined invitations to perform on the day and anti-monarchist protests are threatening to disrupt the procession.
Will the Sussexes attend the coronation?
In January, Prince Harry was already hedging his bets on whether he would attend the coronation.
"There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court," he said.
His refusal to publicly confirm or decline the invitation may indicate that he is quietly negotiating his role in the event.
Royal reporter Ephraim Hardcastle said he understood from palace aides that if Prince Harry were to attend, he would not be expected to pay homage to his stepmother.
"Harry will not have to pass the Queen Consort and bow as he does so. Problematis solvendis?" he wrote last month.
This year, the duke described Camilla as "dangerous" and claimed that she had repeatedly leaked against her stepsons in an attempt to rehabilitate her image.
The Sunday Times' royal correspondent Valentine Low says the prince's attendance can only be secured if he receives a private apology from the King and Prince William.
The speculation has whipped UK tabloids into a fervour, with one column in The Telegraph summarising the silence as "a reflection of lamentably poor manners".
As the terms of Harry and Meghan's appearance are negotiated behind the scenes, other family members have hinted the couple "can't have it both ways".
"You can't sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. You're either in or out. But then don't cry about not being invited to weddings. You chose to leave, now go and live it — and be it," Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, told The Independent earlier this month about her decision to leave the royal family.
Prince Harry, who has multi-million-dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify, and remains one of the most famous people on the planet, may have far more bargaining power than his aunt.
And given the significance of the coronation, it may be in Charles's best interest to ensure his son and daughter-in-law make an appearance.
The legacy of Charles's reign
King Charles will officially be crowned in front of millions at a time of seeming apathy towards the monarchy among the senior British public and heightened awareness around his familial relationships.
Charles has enjoyed an unexpected honeymoon of popularity since the Queen's passing, but has also faced two attempted eggings and the occasional #NotMyKing protests at public events.
He currently sits at fifth place behind Prince William and Princess Catherine on a list of the most popular royals organised by pollsters at YouGov.
His mother remains in the top spot.
While polls should be viewed with a grain of salt, there is no denying the coronation will give King Charles an opportunity to win over a disinterested public.
"His challenge is to be hailed as the Visionary King rather than classed as the Caretaker King wearing the crown until the popular Cambridges inherit the throne," royal biographer Tom Bower writes.
"With just six weeks before the historic day, the King needs to conjure a glorious image of his reign, and that means making many tough decisions."
The Queen's coronation is remembered by historians for striking the right balance between acknowledging the monarchy's ancient Saxon origins, while looking forward to the future through technology.
The broadcast of the coronation — the first in history — set a standard of transparency not seen in previous reigns, and the royal ceremony became "more choreographed and more formal than it had ever been before", writes Sean Lang, senior lecturer in history at Anglia Ruskin University.
In contrast, Charles's coronation will scale back the pomp and ceremony given the United Kingdom's cost of living crisis.
More than 8,000 guests attended Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, but it's expected less than a third —about 2,200 people — will appear at Charles's given the number of seats available in Westminster Abbey.
Without all the royal trappings of previous events, distractions like noisy protesters and family appearances could take centre stage.
A smattering of men with sandwich boards gathered to protest against Queen Elizabeth's title on her coronation day, but anti-monarchists say they are planning bigger protests during King Charles's coronation.
Graham Smith, chief executive of the campaign group Republic, says he expects more than 1,000 people to demonstrate against the new King.
"… We'll make sure that when the procession goes past we are unmissable," he said.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan's appearance has been debated in the press for months, with the public primed to search for the couple among a sea of guests when the day arrives.
Palace presses on with party planning
Without a firm answer from the Sussexes, Buckingham Palace is operating on the assumption that they will be there, according to The Times.
The newspaper reported a palace source as saying staff believe Prince Harry will attend but are less certain about Meghan.
The rest of the guest list is largely finalised.
All of King Charles's siblings are due to take part, including Prince Andrew, though the King is reportedly yet to decide whether to allow his brother — who was stripped of his royal titles last year — to wear his ceremonial robes to the event.
Prince William's eldest son George will play a major role as one of the King's four pages, while the Queen Consort's grandchildren and great-nephew will accompany her into the grand ceremony.
US President Joe Biden has sent his apologies, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will make the trip with a cohort of "outstanding citizens".
The palace is rumoured to have locked in Lionel Richie to headline the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on May 7, though UK tabloids have reported that the King's first choices, Adele and Ed Sheeran, declined the invitation.
Sir Elton John — who was a close friend of the King's first wife Diana Spencer, and who has joined Prince Harry and others in a lawsuit against the Daily Mail — will also be unable to attend the coronation.
In the meantime, the King and Queen Consort have been steaming ahead with their PR tour ahead of the historic occasion, and drip-feeding details of the event to the public.
This week Buckingham Palace unveiled a new Twitter emoji and announced the royal couple will travel to Westminster Abbey in an Australian-built golden carriage finished with diamonds, sapphires and wood from Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree.
In keeping with King Charles's vision for a slimmed down monarchy, it is understood that the number of Windsors joining for the traditional fly-past at Buckingham Palace will be scaled back.
Just 15 royal family members will squeeze onto the balcony to wave at the masses below.
The King and Queen Consort will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children; his sister Princess Anne, brother Prince Edward and their partners; as well as some of Queen Elizabeth's most loyal working family members, the Dukes and Duchesses of Gloucester and Kent.
According to the Mirror, a palace aide explained the King had "little room for sentiment" in pulling together the finer details for the historic occasion.
"The King has been very clear who he wants to represent the monarchy … it is right that only the working members of the family are there at the big public moment."
Regardless of any last-minute RSVPs, one thing appears certain: the family photograph will not include his second-born son.
