King Charles was ‘stubbornly hard to pin down’ on whether Meghan and Harry would be invited to the Coronation and told his son in a phone call two months before the ceremony ‘I haven’t decided’, Omid Scobie claims in new book

King Charles was ‘stubbornly difficult to determine’ over whether Prince Harry and Meghan would be invited to the coronation, Omid Scobie claims.

Harry attended the royal’s big day in May alone, while Meghan stayed at their home in Montecito, California.

He attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey and then quickly returned to the US in time to see his son Archie on his birthday.

In his new book Endgame, released in Australia and due to be published in Britain tomorrow, Scobie claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were unsure for months whether they would be invited.

In response to Harry’s questions about an invitation, the king is said to have said in a February telephone conversation initiated by Harry: “I… haven’t decided yet.”

Scobie adds that while the duke had an “extensive list of reasons to skip the procedure altogether,” Harry reportedly told a source that supporting his father “still outweighed other things.”

Harry attended the ceremony in a suit, with his medals pinned to his chest, after being told he was not allowed to wear his military uniform.

But Scobie says Charles gave disgraced Prince Andrew a “strong nod” to wear his “lavish” ceremonial robes of the Order of the Garter.

Harry was seen laughing and smiling as he entered the church alongside Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and their respective husbands Jack Brooksbank and Edo Mapelli Mozzi.

He sat next to the couple in the church, two rows behind Prince William and the Princess of Wales, who sat with their two youngest children next to Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh.

The Duke of Sussex was reportedly invited to lunch at Buckingham Palace after the service but did not attend.

Harry attended the monarch’s big day in May alone, while Meghan stayed at their home in Montecito, California

Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to Princess Anne during the coronation

Justin Welby is seen laughing as Harry walks past the abbey with a smile on his face

Prince Harry leaves Westminster Abbey after the coronation. He went straight to the airport to catch a flight back to the US

Before the coronation, Harry announced he would travel to Britain without his wife, who remained behind in California to care for their children.

The prince is said to have expressed concerns about the safety and reputation his family could gain among the public.

Other reports suggested Meghan had become upset after a letter from Charles failed to address claims she had made about her poor mental health.

Sources previously said Meghan’s decision to remain in California had come as a relief in some quarters following fears her presence could have increased tensions within the family.

It is also clear that there was real concern in the Sussex camp about the public reception the couple would have received if they attended the coronation together.

Before the coronation, Harry announced he would travel to Britain without his wife, who remained behind in California to care for their children.

Scobie’s claims that Charles is taking a long time to decide whether or not to invite Meghan and Harry come after it was claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex delayed accepting the invitation for weeks after receiving it.

This would have caused problems for organizers tasked with complex seating plans, transport and security for senior members of the royal family, world leaders and other dignitaries.

Sources described the negotiations as a game of ‘transatlantic ping-pong’, and Harry is said to have wanted numerous guarantees about agreements.

Coronation organizers admitted they were stressed about Harry’s plans and said it was like ‘trying to communicate with Mars’.