Why Prince Harry attending Coronation will be bittersweet

(Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023)

published 13 April 2023

Prince Harry's attendance at King Charles's Coronation will be a bittersweet one, as he will be missing his son Archie's fourth birthday.

Prince Harry will be attending King Charles's Coronation alone, leaving Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet in California.
Prince Harry will only be staying in the UK for a short time for the historic event.
In other royal news, Prince Harry 'swore at Charles' in telephone fight about money.

Following weeks of speculation, Buckingham Palace confirmed yesterday that Prince Harry will attend the coronation of his father, King Charles, but his wife Meghan and young children will not.

The BBC confirmed the palace's statement on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, "Prince Harry will come to the King's coronation, but Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will not be attending, says Buckingham Palace."

Prince Harry will likely be feeling bittersweet about his attendance, as it means he will miss Archie's fourth birthday, which takes place on May 6 - the day of the coronation.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu

HELLO!'s royal editor, Emily Nash, said of Harry missing Archie's birthday, "I'm sure Harry will be sad to not be there on Archie's day itself but it's clearly important to be there for his father, the King on this historic occasion."

"It's a big moment, both for the country and also for the king personally. I'm sure he'll be delighted that Harry's going to be there to witness it."

She added, "I'm sure Meghan will do something for Archie's fourth birthday at home in Montecito, possibly in the garden, and it makes sense, this is a big day for King Charles but it's a big day for Prince Archie as well, and they will want to celebrate properly."

The event will also likely be somewhat tense for Prince Harry, who has had a strained relationship with his father and brother, Prince William, since stepping back from royal duties and subsequently making some big revelations in his memoir, Spare.

One claim he made in his book was that Prince William 'knocked him to the floor' following a heated argument.

It was reported in March that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were negotiating the terms of their coronation attendance. A source told OK! Magazine that one of the demands involves Archie and the couple asking for "some kind of celebration or acknowledgment to be factored into the day’s plans to ensure that his fourth birthday won’t get lost during the momentous day."

The royal couple also reportedly requested to stay at Frogmore Cottage for the coronation with Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack. The source claimed, "They want their children to spend time with other family members, especially their cousin August who is around about the same age as Lilibet. Both couples get on extremely well and are keen for their children to be close."

Speaking about whether he would attend the coronation in an interview with ITV's Tom Bradby, Harry said, "There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they're willing to sit down and talk about it."

Robyn is a celebrity and entertainment journalist and editor with over eight years experience in the industry. As well as contributing regular to woman&home, she also often writes for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly and The Sun.