Harry and Meghan are “undecided” about attending the king’s coronation as Duke demands to meet his father and Prince William before leaving his home in Montecito
- Harry and Meghan have not yet decided whether they will attend the coronation in May
- The couple are expected to be invited despite their conflict with the royal family
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have still not decided they will attend the king’s coronation, a source close to the couple has said, with Harry saying he wants to meet the king and Prince William before he travels from the US .
Harry and Meghan are expected to be invited to the coronation on May 6, despite the fallout from the Duke of Sussex’s explosive memoir, which was released last month.
The prince and his wife will attend as regular members of the community if they choose to travel from their home in Montecito, California, for the historic occasion.
According to royal sources, some members of the royal family are said to have recently “spit feathers” at the claims made in Harry’s book and his media campaign to promote it.
Harry has not spoken to the King or Prince William about attending, The Mirror reported, with invitations set to be sent out shortly.
Harry and Meghan have not yet decided whether they will attend the coronation, a source said
The Montecito-based couple is expected to be invited to the king’s coronation along with 2,000 other guests
However, it is reported that he would like to have a meeting with his father and brother before traveling to the UK.
A source told The Mirror: “Harry has been very clear and his position has not wavered – he will not come when he feels the atmosphere will be as toxic as it was during the Platinum Jubilee and the Queen’s funeral.
“He has said he wants to be reconciled with his family and it is their calling, but nothing has changed so far.”
It is understood that those wishing to attend the coronation must respond to the invitation by early April.
If he decides to attend the coronation, Harry will not have a special role at the event, and he and Meghan will not be allowed to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with other members of the royal family.
Royal sources recently suggested officials would make sure Harry would not be seated next to his brother William at the coronation.
The prince could also travel from the US to London without Meghan, also because her son Archie’s birthday falls on the same day as the coronation.
Such a plan could result in Harry flying in and out of the UK in a 48-hour journey in a so-called “Harry in a hurry” scenario.
It comes after the Mail on Sunday revealed last month that the Archbishop of Canterbury could intervene to negotiate a deal between Harry and his family to attend the coronation.
The coronation of King Charles III. is scheduled for May 6th, invitations are expected to be sent out soon
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not expected to feature prominently if they choose to attend
One scenario could mean Meghan stays at home in California while Harry travels to the UK alone
It is reported that Harry has not spoken to either the king or Prince William about his attendance at the coronation
It was suggested that if they received a prominent bench and an assurance that Harry would not lose his royal titles, they could accept the invitation.
The king is said to want a trimmed down and “diverse” coronation for the ceremony in May.
The monarch has reduced the guest list to around 2,000 people, from the 8,000 who watched his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
He also cut in half the 16-month organizational time required to prepare for his mother’s ministry.