The couple’s spokesperson has confirmed that the duchess will be staying behind to celebrate their son’s birthday.
A month after confirming they’ve received an invitation, the royal couple has finally made their plans public.
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” the palace said in a statement.
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Since the coronation will fall on May 6, Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, the duchess will be busy celebrating her son’s special day.
Prince Archie’s nine-year-old cousin Prince George will serve as a page during the ceremony. Queen Camilla’s grandsons and other children related to the royal family will also be present.
“It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family,” a source close to the royal household told People.
“If they don’t sort it out, it will always be part of the King’s reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue.”
The coronation will have three days of celebration across the country. For now, Prince Harry’s role in the event is still unclear, given that he stepped back from his royal duties three years ago.
His relationship with the rest of the royal family has been rocky since then, along with the release of the couple’s Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan and the publication of the Prince’s memoir Spare.
However, back in January, another source close to the King told Vanity Fair that he wanted his youngest son present at the event.
“Charles is a forgiving person by nature, and he wants to move on,” the source said. “Whatever has been said and done, Harry is still his son and he loves him. He also cannot imagine being crowned, the most important moment of his life, without both his sons witnessing the moment.”
Banner image by Mark Jones via Wikimedia Commons.