The office of King Charles III has been in communication with Prince Harry regarding the upcoming coronation of the new monarch. Despite tensions within the royal family, this raises the possibility of Prince Harry attending the historic ceremony.
If Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, decide to attend the May 6 coronation at Westminster Abbey in London, it would be the first time Charles and his younger son have met since Harry revealed family secrets in his bestselling book, “Spare,” which deepened the rift within the House of Windsor.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed on Sunday that Prince Harry had received “email correspondence” from the king’s office regarding the coronation. Buckingham Palace has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The couple’s office stated that “An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
There has been much speculation about whether Harry and Meghan would receive an invitation to the coronation, particularly after the release of Harry’s revealing memoir. The book contained explosive allegations of palace intrigue, including private conversations with his father and brother, Prince William, which further exacerbated the existing tensions between Harry and his family. These tensions were made public when Harry and Meghan moved to North America in 2020.
The book contained allegations that members of the royal family regularly provide unflattering information about other members of the House of Windsor to the press in exchange for positive coverage of themselves. The prince specifically accused Camilla, the queen consort, of divulging private conversations to the media in an attempt to improve her image after her marriage to Charles. Camilla was once widely disliked for her extramarital affair with Charles, which contributed to the breakdown of his marriage to the late Princess Diana, the mother of Harry and William.
This week, the public witnessed once again the tension between Harry and his family, as the Sussexes confirmed that they were asked to leave their home in Britain. Frogmore Cottage, located on the grounds of Windsor Castle west of London, was the couple’s primary residence before they gave up their royal duties and relocated to Montecito, a wealthy community in Southern California.
According to The Sun newspaper, Charles requested that Harry and Meghan vacate Frogmore Cottage on January 11, the day following the publication of Harry’s memoir. However, it’s possible that other factors contributed to the decision.
Charles, who became king after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September, has expressed his intention to reduce the number of working royals and the cost of the monarchy, as he aims to modernize the thousand-year-old institution and ensure its longevity. It may have been viewed as unseemly for a royal residence to be left empty when Harry and Meghan currently reside in California and only make occasional visits to the UK.
Meanwhile, Harry continues to openly share his personal experiences and criticisms of the royal family as part of his book promotion.
During a live-streamed conversation on Saturday with Dr. Gabor Mate, the author of “The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture,” the prince opened up about his previous drug use and revealed that he encouraged other members of the royal family to seek therapy.
Despite facing criticism for his openness about his struggles, Harry stated that he will not remain silent as discussing these issues has been a crucial part of his own healing process.
Harry explained, “The more that individuals criticize and comment, the stronger my desire becomes to share my experiences. I have discovered a way to manage the criticism and negative comments by firstly ignoring them.”
