Prince Harry's Coronation plans as Meghan stays at home with Archie and Lilibet

Prince Harry only recently confirmed that he will be attending the Coronation of his father, King Charles. His wife Meghan Markle will not be joining him, however, as she will be staying at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The King is said to be delighted that his youngest son is making the trip, despite the strained relations between the pair over the past few years. This was only heightened with the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare, where he made a spate of damning allegations against members of the Royal Family, most notably his brother Prince William and Camilla, the Queen Consort.

Other family members are not so keen for Harry to be involved in the historic service, given his propensity to sell out family secrets and numerous attempts to turn the institution into a soap opera.

A cold shoulder and icy reception are awaiting him in the Abbey, and detailed plans have been made to ensure that William has little if any public interaction with his brother.

But as the public eagerly anticipates the interactions between the royal rebel and his family, Express.co.uk takes a look at exactly what is in store for Harry on the Coronation weekend.

Prince Harry will only make a fleeting visit to the UK for the Coronation, as he intends to fly back to Montecito also immediately to ensure he can celebrate at least part of his son Archie’s birthday – who turns four on the same day as the Coronation.

He is expected to arrive in London a day or two before the Coronation and no earlier, then fly back to the US just hours after watching his father be crowned.

The fleeting visit means he will have no time for private meetings with Charles or William, with no hopes of formal peace talks or a reconciliation in sight.

But insiders have said that this was never part of the plan, as the Coronation will be the only focus that weekend and there is no time for the monarch to formally sit down with his son and discuss the many concerns raised that he has raised in recent months.

Harry has been invited to return to Buckingham Palace after the service with other members of the wider family, but it is unclear whether he will join them for the special Coronation lunch.

As a result, Harry’s Coronation plans are simply to turn up, show his support for his father and then leave as quickly as possible.

Harry will have no official role at the Coronation, unlike leading family members such as Prince William, young Prince George, and Princess Anne.

This is because he is no longer a senior working royal, having chosen to step down from such a position in 2020.

While the Duke remains fifth in line to the throne he has no official capacity within the Royal Family and with the King’s focus on a slimmed-down monarchy only those in the immediate line of succession are to be given prominent roles.

He’ll also be seated some way from the senior members of the Firm, with Express.co.uk previously revealing that his arrival at the Abbey will be meticulously planned to ensure there are no awkward encounters with his brother.

Prince William will pay homage to the King before touching the crown and kissing the monarch’s right cheek. This was traditionally reserved for royal dukes but the Prince of Wales will be the only one to do this on the day.

Nine-year-old Prince George is one of the eight Pages of Honour and will attend to the King on the day of the Coronation. He will carry the King’s robes and all of the page boys will wear matching scarlet uniforms and will form part of the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey.

Princess Anne will also have her own unique role on the day, as Charles’s “official bodyguard” as the royals make their way back to Buckingham Palace in the Coronation Procession. The role will be that of “Gold-Stick-in-Waiting”, a position that historically ensures the monarch’s safety and as such must be given to someone trusted.

As previously mentioned, Harry is no longer a senior working royal so will have no official role at the Coronation. As a result, he is not expected to be involved in the glittering Coronation procession or appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Other non-working royals will also miss out, which includes the Duke of York and his two daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

The procession will take place after the King and Queen will be crowned and will see the royals travel on the Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace.

The 1.3-mile route will see them travel to Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall back to Buckingham Palace.

It will include Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.

Senior members of the Royal Family will also form part of the procession, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The balcony moment will also feature just a handful of senior royals, including Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent and his sister Princess Alexandra.

Prince Harry is not expected to wear military uniform for the Coronation as this honour is reserved for working royals only.

This will come as a major blow to the royal, as he was in the Army for 10 years and served two tours in Afghanistan.

Military Historian Dr Peter Johnston told True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat that it is highly unlikely that Harry will wear uniform at the Coronation.

“I imagine Harry won’t wear uniform [at the Coronation],” he said. “Even as a veteran who did two tours in Afghanistan, he won’t wear uniform. I imagine he’ll wear his medals.”

Harry did not wear military uniform at the Queen’s funeral last year but he did have his medals pinned to his jacket.

Prince Harry will only attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey – the main event.

He will not attend the concert at Windsor Castle on the Sunday, which promises performances from “global music icons” and “contemporary stars”. Take That, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry are among the lineup.

Members of the Royal Family will be in the audience to watch the special show to commemorate the King’s Coronation.

Sarah Ferguson is believed to be among those invited, despite being left off the guest list for the service at Westminster Abbey.

He will also skip The Big Help Out on the Bank holiday Monday, which aims at encouraging the public to get involved in volunteering initiatives in their local area.

Harry is expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage – the Sussexes UK residence – when he returns to the UK for the Coronation.

The couple were recently requested to vacate the property, in a move sanctioned by the King, so it is likely to be the last time he stays in his former home.

Frogmore was gifted to Harry and Meghan as a wedding present from the late Queen and they moved into the property just before their son Archie was born.

Harry is understood to have stayed at Frogmore when he returned to the UK to attend preliminary hearings for his phone hacking lawsuit. Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, model Elizabeth Hurley and actress Sadie Frost are among the group making the allegations.

Meghan Markle will not be returning to the UK for the Coronation, and will instead stay at home with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,

Archie turns four on the day of the Coronation, so she is likely to have something special planned on the Saturday.

It has been reported that an intimate celebration is planned for the day, with just a handful of friends invited.

“It’s going to be a low-key party at home,” a source tells PEOPLE magazine. “They’ll have friends around them and Meghan’s mom, Doria [Ragland]. Meghan will definitely have support that weekend.”

Another source made similar comments to US weekly, and said: “Meghan is planning something really low-key. Since Harry won’t be able to attend, she just wants to do something intimate with family and a few very close friends.”

The family-of-four will celebrate Archie’s special day together once Harry has returned to the US.

Some courtiers are said to be fearful that Meghan may decide to release pictures of Archie on Coronation Day to mark his birthday, which could risk overshadowing the proceedings. However, releasing pictures of young royals is tradition, with the Palace recently releasing new snaps of five-year-old Prince Louis to mark his birthday.