King Charles invites Harry and Meghan to coronation, but it’s unclear if they’ll go
CNN
By Max Foster, CNN
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have received an invite to the coronation of King Charles III — but the couple have yet to confirm if they will attend, the Duke’s spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.
“I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation,” the spokesperson said. “An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
King Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
The coronation will see three days of celebrations across the country in which the public will be invited to participate.
Buckingham Palace said the coronation itself will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” that reflects “the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions.”
That line has been interpreted by experts as a hint that Charles’ coronation will be different and more subdued than the one his late mother experienced seven decades ago, with a shorter ceremony and amendments to some of the more feudal elements of the ritual.
At this point, the palace has not specified which members of the family will appear in a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, and on the balcony of the palace at the end of the day alongside the King and Queen Consort.
It follows Prince Andrew’s continued exile from public life as a result of historical sexual abuse allegations and the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, which railed against his family.
Harry has previously declined to be drawn on whether his family will return for his father’s coronation.
“The door is always open,” he said in a January interview with Britain’s ITV to publicize his book. “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.”
On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told CNN the couple had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their official UK residence.
Buckingham Palace said Wednesday it would be offering no comment. A royal source told CNN that any such discussions would be a private family matter.
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