LONDON — King Charles III’s office has been in contact with prince harry about the coronation of the new monarch, raising the possibility that the prince will attend the historic ceremony despite tensions within the royal family.
If Harry and his wife, Meghan, attended May 6 Coronation at Westminster Abbey in London, it would be the first meeting between Charles and his youngest son since Harry deepened the rift within the House of Windsor by revealing family secrets in his best selling book«Replacement.»
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, confirmed on Sunday that Harry had received «email correspondence» from the King’s office about the coronation. Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
«We will not be releasing an immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend at this time,» the couple’s office said in a statement.
Speculation over whether Harry and Meghan would be invited to the coronation has raged since the publication of Harry’s explosive memoir, which contained damning allegations of intrigue behind palace walls.
The revelations, including details of private conversations with his father and brother Prince William, stoked tensions between Harry and his family that became public when he and his wife moved to North America in 2020.
The book also included allegations that members of the royal family regularly provide the press with unflattering information about other members of the House of Windsor in exchange for positive coverage of themselves.
The prince singled out Camilla, the queen consort, accusing her of leaking private conversations to the media as she sought to rehabilitate her image after marrying Charles. Camilla was once vilified for her long-running affair with Charles, which contributed to the breakdown of her marriage to the late Prince Diana, the mother of Harry and William.
The acrimony between Harry and his family once again came to the fore this week when the Sussexes acknowledged that they were asked to leave their home in Great Britain.
Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor Castle in west London, was the couple’s primary residence before they relinquished royal duties and moved to Montecito, a wealthy enclave in southern California.
The Sun newspaper reported that Charles asked them to give up the house on January 11, the day after Harry’s memoirs were published.
But issues other than the book may have prompted the request.
Charles, who became king after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September, said he plans to reduce the number of working royals and reduce the cost of the monarchy as he seeks to modernize the 1,000-year-old institution with hoping to ensure their survival.
With Harry and Meghan now living in California, leaving a royal residence unoccupied so they have a place to stay on their occasional visits to the UK may have been seen as a bad image.
Meanwhile, Harry continues to share his personal experiences and criticism of the royal family while promoting his book.
While participating in a livestreamed conversation with Dr. Gabor Mate, author of «The Myth Of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing In A Toxic Culture» on Saturday, the prince opened up about his past drug use, saying that he had urged other family members to have therapy.
He said the criticism of «Spare» won’t silence him because speaking out about these issues has helped him deal with the trauma in his life.
“The more they criticize, the more they comment, the more I feel the need to share,” Harry said. “I found a way that I can look around me and ignore the criticism and abuse in the first place.”