Despite the very public and ongoing family feud, it’s being reported that King Charles would like to have Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, attend his Coronation celebration. According to the Daily Mail, despite Prince William’s objections, the king has enlisted the help of the Archbishop of Canterbury to help broker peace.
Charles, 74, has asked Justin Welby, who is set to officiate the Coronation in May, to help mediate the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry, senior sources told the outlet. The Prince of Wales, 40, is reportedly worried that the drama with Harry, 38, and Meghan, especially following the release of Harry’s memoir, Spare, could overshadow the monarch’s big day.
Insiders say that the king fears the couple’s absence will only add more fuel to the fire. In exchange for their presence, King Charles is allegedly offering Harry and Meghan prime seating in Westminster Abbey for the Coronation or an informal assurance that they won’t be stripped of their titles.
“The family is split, and all the indications are that Harry is being advised to agree to nothing at this stage and ‘play it long’ right up to the last minute, which is making negotiations with him very difficult,” an anonymous source told the Mail.
“Harry’s camp made clear that the idea that he would just attend the Coronation and behave himself but then be stripped of his titles was a total non-starter,” the insider added. Additionally, the insider says that Harry “resents being lumped together with Andrew in the public mind as the two ‘problem Princes.’” He feels their circumstances are not comparable.
The Daily Mail reached out to Lambeth and Buckingham Palace for comment, but both declined. An insider close to Prince William said they are unaware of negotiations regarding the Coronation.
Neither the Duke of Duchess of Sussex have commented publicly on whether or not they would be attending the king’s celebration. Even if they did, insiders say King Charles has not included Harry in the ceremony, and their attendance would strictly be in a guest capacity.
