Now that Prince Harry is officially attending King Charles’ coronation, the conversation has moved from if the king’s youngest son would be traveling across the pond to how much he’ll have to do with the ceremony. Early predictions claim that even though he was invited, he’ll have specific instructions to follow, and will not be part of the procession with the rest of the Royal Family’s senior members. So, with the event coming up, another royal expert has weighed in on why the Duke of Sussex will likely be “on the sidelines” on his father’s big day.
Eloise Parker, a royal expert, weighed in on how Prince Harry could be involved in the coronation, telling ET:
I fully expect Prince Harry to be very much on the sidelines during this ceremony. This ceremony is all about King Charles III and the Queen Consort, so I would expect even the Duke and Duchess of Wales, William and Kate, will also be at the sidelines for this [event].
She makes a valid point, this coronation is all about the crowning of a new king, and since Queen Elizabeth ruled for 70 years, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a ceremony like this. The spotlight will be on King Charles, and his children, both Harry and William, will be there to support their father.
What did come as a bit of a surprise was Meghan Markle's decision to not go to the coronation. Prince Harry’s attendance was confirmed, and it was announced that the Duchess of Sussex would stay at their home in California. Their reasoning for this is that their son Archie’s birthday is also on May 6, the day the event falls on the 2023 TV schedule. Parker commented on the Sussex’s attendance plans, saying:
[There was] some surprise that Harry is going alone, [but] not so much when you realize that it's his son Archie's birthday the very same day. So Meghan is in fact going to be staying home in California to celebrate that birthday, which is perhaps quite convenient given the tensions between the two families right now.
As the coronation approaches there has been a lot of talk about the tension between King Charles and Prince Harry. While their relationship has always been a bit turbulent, the release of Harry & Meghan as well as the revelations and allegations presented in Spare, have seemingly made things rockier between the two. Parker also commented on how the events leading up to the ceremony could impact both the king and prince, explaining:
There's going to be thousands of people around, all needing attention, Charles is gonna be very much at the center of that, so hopefully for Harry that's gonna take the emphasis off him. I think most people are hoping that the father-son relationship will heal over time unfortunately, I just don't think the coronation is gonna be the event for that to happen.
She concluded that there will be “too many people, too much pressure, and far too much going on,” and the two will likely not reconcile until after the massive event. King Charles and Prince Harry haven’t publicly been seen together in a while, and while the Duke of Sussex was in London for a tabloid related trial, he and his father didn’t meet up because of reported schedule conflicts. So, this event will make the first time they've been seen in the same place in months.
It’s unclear how Prince Harry will be included in the coronation, however, we do know that he’s attending. Considering how big this event is for King Charles, Parker makes a good point by noting that many members of the family will not be the center of attention at the big event. So, as the the king's day gets closer, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on Prince Harry’s involvement in the ceremony, and any other news surrounding the historic event.
