After weeks of deliberation, it has finally been confirmed that Prince Harry will be attending his father King Charles' coronation, but will be in attendance without his wife, Meghan, or their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. However, the situation will certainly be a bittersweet one for the Duke of Sussex.
Although Harry's partner and two children would have been invited to the historic day, their absence sadly means that the royal will be forced to miss Archie's 4th birthday, which also takes place on 6 May. Since Meghan will be remaining in California with their two children, it is likely that the Prince will celebrate Archie's special day at another time.
HELLO!'s royal editor, Emily Nash, weighed in. She explained: "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 but also for the king personally. I'm sure he'll be delighted that Harry's going to be there to witness it."
Adding "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 coronation will, of course, also be a difficult reunion for Harry with his father and brother, Prince William, following the breakdown of their relationship after the Duke stepped back from royal duties, as well as his tell-all book, Spare, and his Netflix documentary, Harry and Meghan.
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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."
© NetflixDespite their differences, Prince Harry has spoken very fondly of his dad in the past. In a documentary for Charles' 70th birthday, he said: "It’s the things he does behind the scenes that people don’t know about. I don’t think people realise quite how kind he is."
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