Prince Harry would be attending his father King Charles’s coronation alone on 6 May with his wife Meghan Markle and their children remaining at their home in Montecito.
It came after months of speculation amongst royal watchers, considering Harry’s increasingly strained relations with the royal family.
Buckingham Palace was first to share the update in a statement that read: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
A short time later, Harry and Meghan themselves broke their silence to confirm his attendance. But royal fans were quick to notice a stark difference between the two statements.
The couple’s message read: “The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
It had previously been unclear whether Prince Harry would attend his father’s coronation, but the decision means that King Charles will have both his sons present for the historic ceremony.
The King will have both sons present
Neither the couple’s spokeswoman nor Buckingham Palace have further commented on the decision, but there were certainly strongly divided opinions on social media, with some supporters praising Meghan for standing up for herself while others criticized her for “snubbing” her royal in-laws.
It’s unclear what role Harry will take at the coronation given that he and Meghan stepped back as working royals. As a result of their decision, the couple were not allowed to join the royal family for their appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year.
It’s thought that Prince William, as heir to the throne, will take on a prominent position at the coronation – as will his eldest son, Prince George.
