Prince Harry and Meghan have confirmed that they have received an official invite to King Charles’s Coronation but have refused to say whether they will attend the historic event. A spokesman for the couple said: “I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the Coronation. An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.” Here Express.co.uk takes a look at why they might snub the invite.
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1. Frogmore eviction
King Charles has asked Prince Harry and Meghan to vacate their UK home of Frogmore Cottage.
The couple, who confirmed they have been asked to hand back the keys, are said to have been left “stunned” by the decision.
They have until the autumn to move their belongings out of the Windsor residence.
Commentators suggest that the eviction may have left the Sussexes with a sour taste in their mouths and may prompt them to decline the Coronation invite.
3. Poor family relations
Tensions remain high between Prince Harry and his family, with reports suggesting he is not currently in contact with his brother.
Though the King is said to be keen on reconciliation with his youngest son, Prince William is more sceptical and friends of his have claimed he does not want Harry to attend the Coronation after he was repeatedly targeted in Harry’s memoir Spare.
William was the subject of several allegations – including that of physical assault – in the book and it hasn’t gone down well.
A source told People magazine: “William is the one who is most upset and needs time to calm down. He has been painted as hotheaded and unsympathetic. But I don’t think he will back down — it’s whether they can move beyond it and accept that they view things differently.”
Royal correspondent Valentine Low, author of Courtiers, added that William “will be furious about the betrayals of confidences.”
Harry may decide not to attend the Coronation to avoid a public spat with his brother.
4. Security concerns
Prince Harry has repeatedly asked for armed police protection whenever he and his family return to Britain and has launched legal action against the Home Office for its refusal to grant this.
In July 2022, the High Court ruled in favour of Harry’s bid to bring part of his High Court claim against the Government.
It is believed the case may go before the High Court in early April, but it isn’t known whether a ruling could be reached before the Coronation of King Charles III on May 6. He may decide not to go if the matter has not been ruled on by then.
Coupled with this, Harry’s decision to write about the number of Taliban he killed when fighting in Afghanistan has heightened his security risk.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams noted this, and told the MailOnline: “Harry’s concerns over security, which will not be helped by his revelations about the number of Taliban insurgents he personally killed, may also be a factor as he has a case pending against the Home Office on this issue.”
6. Archie’s birthday
The date of the King’s Coronation clashes with Archie’s fourth birthday.
If Harry and Meghan do decide to both attend the Coronation, they will be unable to spend the bulk of the day celebrating with their son. This will prove even harder if the Sussexes decide not to bring their children with them to the UK.
It has been reported that Harry could travel to London on his own and Meghan remain in the US to celebrate Archie’s birthday with him.
But the couple could do what they did last year for their daughter Lilibet’s second birthday, which fell on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, and celebrate the day by hosting an informal garden party at their former home, Frogmore Cottage.
7. Public ridicule
Harry and Meghan have been the target of public ridicule in recent weeks, most notably in a satirical episode of South Park where “the Prince and Princess of Canada” attempted to escape the limelight.
The episode pokes fun at a copy of the prince’s book titled Waaagh and sees the couple insist they want privacy.
Snippets from Harry’s actual book Spare also raised a few eyebrows, with people questioning why he chose to repeatedly bring up his penis – especially the frostbite episode following his trip to the North Pole.
Mr Fitzwilliams suggests both of these instances could prompt Harry to stay at home and said: “A lot of people have been laughing at them. Harry’s revelations about losing his virginity, experiences with drugs and penile frostbite have given rise to much mirth. Viewers of South Park have seen their desire for privacy mercilessly mocked and with reason.”
