Prince Harry Confirmed to Be Attending Dad’s Coronation Without Meghan Markle

The confirmation of Harry's attendance follows intense speculation as to whether he would show up following his very public criticism of the royal family.

April 12, 2023

Prince Harry is pictured in a suit — Image via Getty/Max Mumby/Indigo
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Prince Harry will be among the thousands of guests expected to gather at Westminster Abbey next month for the coronation of his father, King Charles III. Meghan Markle, however, will not be in attendance.

Buckingham Palace confirmed Harry’s attendance on Wednesday, per a report from BBC News. The upcoming appearance is notable for several reasons, including the fact that it marks the first of its kind for Harry since the rollout of his incessantly headlined book Spare, which dropped in January.

The date of the coronation, May 6, is also the date of the birthday of Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie.

“The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th,” a spokesperson said of Harry’s attendance. “The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”

Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace shared the official invitation for the coronation service. The physical invitation, per a spokesperson, was designed by artist Andrew Jamieson and boasts a hand-crafted design seen in watercolor and gouache. Prospective attendees will receive a version of the design printed on recycled materials, complete with gold foil details.

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Of course, confirmation of Harry’s attendance follows extended speculation from the public and beyond about whether such a thing was even remotely possible given that he has publicly criticized the larger infrastructure surrounding the royal family. Two key moments in Harry and Meghan’s criticisms were the release of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan In 2022 and the much-discussed January rollout of the aforementioned memoir.