Prince Harry's plans to ditch King Charles' Coronation concert means he will also avoid an awkward run in with Katy Perry who is set to perform at the gig. The Duke of Sussex will be present at the official crowning ceremony but has told his father he will not be staying for the weekend of celebrations afterwards.
After the Coronation ceremony on May 6, Harry is arranging to hurry back home to California to be with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Mirror reports. The Duke will miss his son's fourth birthday, which falls on the same day as the Coronation, and will likely be eager to return home as soon as possible to celebrate.
Harry will also not get to see the highly anticipated musical extravaganza on May 7 at Windsor Castle but, fortunately for him, this means there won't be any awkward encounters with pop singer Katy Perry. Katy has previously made it very clear that she is a fan of the Prince and once made some very flirty comments on the Graham Norton Show.
Back in 2012, host Graham asked the singer about the rumour that Harry had asked for her to join the guest list for the late Queen's diamond jubilee 'by name'. Katy simply replied: "Prince Harry? He's a hot ginger isn't he."
Seated alongside the singer was comedian Ross Noble, who commented that Harry was known for his love of the ladies while Katy joked: "I'd be open to that." Graham then turned to his third guest Girls Aloud star Cheryl and asked her about the rumours that she had been seen chatting to Harry at the Jubilee Concert after party.
Katy jokingly fumed: "Get off my man!" before Graham remarked that 'Princess Cheryl' had a ring to it and said that it would be the 'best ever' wedding.
The two singers jokingly fought over the Duke as Cheryl said: "I would consider Prince Harry," before Katy piped up: "And if you don't want her pick me!" What makes the situation even more awkward is that Harry is now good friends with Katy's fiancé, Orlando Bloom.
The pair struck up a friendship in 2020 when they became neighbours after the Sussexes moved to Montecito, California. In 2020, the Hollywood actor said: "This guy is so nice, and I think he's got a great sense of humour. I hope he maintains that through this because they're sort of on a pedestal.
"We're showing real adoration to them in one form or another. I try to justify it, because quite frankly, if I'm honest, it's not like me to poke fun at anyone but it is done with affection."
Another bit of added fuel to the fire is that Meghan is reported to have held a 'grudge' against Perry after she once made a critical comment about the former Suits actress' wedding dress. During a promotional tour in the US for American Idol, Katy boldly said she 'would've done one more fitting' as she referred to the wedding dress Meghan wore.
A source told The Daily Star: "Meghan is keenly aware of a comment that Katy Perry made in 2018 about her wedding dress and is notorious for holding a grudge. While the comment wasn't meant to be hurtful, Meghan felt under siege at that time and was overwhelmed by arguments with staff, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Thomas Markle."
The source added: "I would not expect to see Meghan and Katy carpooling to PTA meetings anytime in the future!" Around 20,000 members of the public will attend the Coronation concert which will be aired on BBC1 and Radio2 as well as on catch-up services.
Big names have been lined up for the show including Take That and Lionel Richie. Other acts scheduled to perform include opera singers Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel, singer-songwriter Freya Ridings and classical-soul pioneer Alexis Ffrench. Sources close to the Duke also said he has no plans to visit any of the charities he is attached to during his brief visit.
However, Harry has reportedly told family members that he is planning to return to the UK for a visit in summer. A royal source revealed: "After much back and forth, Harry said that he would be returning for the King’s Coronation but it will only be a fleeting visit.
"Organisers have been told Harry won’t be attending the concert with the rest of the Royal Family, which is a great shame as it will be such a spectacular event." Another major factor that's likely to play a part in Harry's early exit is believed to be the loss of his round-the-clock royal protection from armed police which he lost after he stepped down from his royal duties in 2020.
The Duke is involved in an ongoing High Court action with the Home Office after the decision was made to strip him of his UK security.
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