Prince Harry was back in the UK for his father's coronation on Saturday. May 6. The Duke of Sussex attended the historic event at Westminster Abbey without his wife, as Meghan remained in the United States.
All eyes were on Harry for his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare.
The Duke of Sussex took his seat in the third row for the coronation of his father the King, two rows behind his brother the Prince of Wales for the ceremony in Charles and the duke’s stepmother, Camilla, were crowned.
The duke chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church on Saturday in the drizzling rain.
He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone.
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According to body language expert Judi James, nervy Prince Harry showed 'subliminal signs of tensions' as he waited for King Charles to arrive.
She tells The Mirror: "As Harry waited in his seat for his father and brother to arrive there were some subliminal signs of building tension or anxiety.
"He sucked his lips in and licked them and his blink rate increased, suggesting adrenalin prompted by nerves."
Judi then says that the Duke of Sussex started staring at Anne, who was sat in the row in front, making an unusual gesture.
She continues: "His eye-gaze fixed on his aunt Anne who was chatting in the seats in front and then his head dropped down."
Judi has also explained how Harry looked happy when he arrived with his royal cousins. "Harry arrived with the Sussex posse, the royal cousins Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands, who have remained friends throughout the royal rifts.
"Chatting first to Edo he then got the attention of Eugenie and Jack and we saw an incredible return of the joker prince as Harry grinned and used two hands cupped widely under his stomach to do what looked like a mime of Eugenie’s heavily-pregnant state.
"After making the couple laugh, Harry fell back to walk in alone."
Judi also explained that Harry was very confident when he walked into the Coronation.
It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration.
READ MORE: Amazing pictures show Nottingham celebrations for King Charles' Coronation
Harry is a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) after being made so by the late Queen in 2015.
Buckingham Palace said the appropriate insignia for a KCVO was a star and neck decoration with no mantle.
French luxury fashion house Dior tweeted that it had dressed Harry in a custom design by celebrity favourite British-born Kim Jones.
The brand has often been a go-to choice for Harry’s wife the Duchess of Sussex. The Duke of Sussex’s whistlestop tour to witness his father’s coronation came to an end as Harry headed to Heathrow within hours of the historic ceremony.
The duke was seen near Heathrow following the ceremony, with two police outriders appearing to be escorting his car.
His son Prince Archie turned four on Saturday, with the duke expected to be rushing back to the US to celebrate his youngster’s birthday.
Meghan stayed at home in Montecito, California, with Archie and Princess Lili.
There was no appearance from Harry nor the Duke of York on the Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the Palace confirming earlier that the ex-working royals had no formal role at the event.
For the late Queen’s funeral last September, Harry sat in the second row at Westminster Abbey, behind Charles.
The duke, 38, was seated between his cousin Princess Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, and the late Queen’s cousin Princess Alexandra, in the same row as Eugenie, Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi.
During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever.”
Also in the third row, at the other end from Harry, was Andrew, who stopped using the His Royal Highness style in an official capacity in January 2022.
Andrew wore his Order of the Garter robe which holds special significance for the royals.
The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain.
Last June, Andrew did not appear alongside senior members of the royal family at the annual Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle.
William and Kate sat in the front row at the abbey for the historic ceremony, with their children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Louis, who recently turned five, took his seat next to his mother after processing through the abbey, spending more than an hour watching the crownings, before retiring for a brief break.
Also in the front row to see Charles and Camilla crowned was the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
In the second row were the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, alongside the Princess Royal.
Harry and Andrew were also absent from the procession behind the Gold State Coach carrying the newly crowned King and Queen back to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.
Andrew stepped away from public life after a controversial Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre sued Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew denied the claims but paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in the US civil case.
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