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Well, royal fans, we've all been waiting, and now, the verdict is officially in: Prince Harry will
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be attending King Charles III's coronation, but there's a big twist. Here's the latest.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took their time accepting Charles' coronation invitation,
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and there's been plenty of speculation as to what exactly was being discussed in the interim,
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as well as what their final decision would be. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson has now announced,
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"Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the
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Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of
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Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
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The fact that the children won't be attending is noteworthy, considering the fact that
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Archie and Lilibet's role in Charles's coronation has been up for debate as well
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In fact, it was even reported that they weren't originally invited to the ceremony,
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at all. As Omid Scobie, a royal journalist and close friend of the Sussexes, revealed on Twitter,
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"I understand that Archie's fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a
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factor in the couple's decision. Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK
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for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey."
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As far as the palace is concerned, it's safe to say that this is a big win. In light of
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the bad blood between the Sussexes and the senior royals, there was really no way for
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to RSVP to the coronation without causing a bit of awkwardness.
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Ultimately, it seems that their final decision minimizes the discomfort and bad
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optics all around, which wasn't an easy outcome to achieve. A source close to the family spoke
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to People about how important Harry's presence at the ceremony is to his father, explaining,
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"It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to
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witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don't sort it out,
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it will always be part of the king's reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has
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had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue."
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"I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan
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as they continue to build their lives overseas."
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While this move doesn't mean that it's all water under the bridge in terms of this royal feud,
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Meghan and Harry's decision likely means that things are moving in the right direction.
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In the end, both Charles's coronation and Prince Archie's upcoming birthday
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celebrations are set to make May 6th a very happy day for the famous family.
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We're mere weeks away from King Charles' historic coronation,
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so with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's long-awaited response to the coronation
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invite finally set in stone, it seems that most plans for the big day are in place.
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Prince Harry will be among over 2,000 guests at King Charles' ceremony,
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but since he is no longer a working member of the royal family, he isn't likely to have a major role
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in the coronation. As was the case for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, Harry won't
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appear with his father on the Buckingham Palace balcony like the other working royals will.
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Since Harry's brother, Prince William, is officially the next in line for the
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throne once Charles begins his reign, he'll be occupying a vital role in the ceremony.
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Even his son Prince George's coronation role is reportedly going to be a big one.
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As for Harry and Charles, it's certain that the Duke of Sussex's relationship to the ceremony will
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be a bittersweet one. Yet, seeing as this will be Harry's first time seeing his fellow royals after
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the release of his wave-making memoir, "Spare," which set more bad blood among the royals in
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motion, everyone will have to put on a happy face during the reunion, whether they want to or not.
