The coronation on 6 May falls on the birthday of the couple’s eldest child Archie, who will be celebrating his fourth birthday. According to sources cited by PA, this played a role in Meghan’s decision not to come to London. Harry’s trip to the UK will be brief, and he will not attend any other events related to the coronation over the weekend, according to these sources. He is expected to return quickly to the US, leaving little time for a family reconciliation.
It was not specified on Wednesday if Harry would play a particular role in the ceremony, whether he would join the procession in a carriage or appear on the palace balcony with the royal family. But the response from the Sussexes must have relieved the organisers, who were reportedly “exasperated,” according to the Daily Mirror, and could not finalise the seating plan at Westminster as they were waiting for their decision.
Despite tensions with his son, 74-year-old Charles wished for Harry to attend his coronation, according to sources close to the royal family. Charles succeeded his mother Elizabeth II in September, who died at the age of 96 after a 70-year reign. Around 2,000 people are set to attend his coronation at Westminster Abbey, which will be followed by a giant concert in Windsor, where one of the main residences of the royal family is located, in west London.
Harry and Meghan have returned to the UK only on rare occasions since their departure in 2020, notably to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Duke of Sussex had travelled alone for the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip in 2021. Harry also made a surprise appearance in London at the end of March at a hearing against a tabloid. But according to the Press Association, he did not see his father or brother during his visit to the UK.