Prince Harry has reportedly planned a visit for his father’s coronation next weekend, with the intention of flying back to the US within two hours of the ceremony ending.
The Duke of Sussex will watch his father, King Charles III, be crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, but will fly straight back to his home in LA.
It’s understood the Duke will only be in the UK for about 24 hours as he plans to head back home for his son Archie’s fourth birthday, which coincides with Saturday’s coronation.
The ceremony to formally crown the king begins at 11am and will last approximately two hours. Harry will then be on the air about two hours later at 3pm.
The historic ceremony will be the first time Harry has been photographed with the Windsors since the funeral of his grandmother, the late Queen, and the first time since he denounced the royals in his memoir.
The Duke of Sussex will see his father, King Charles III, crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Pictured: The Duke of Sussex at the Southbank Centre, London, July 17, 2018
Harry (right) flies straight back to his home in LA after the ceremony for his wife Megan and their two children
The Duke of Sussex will see his father Charles crowned king on Saturday. Obviously, the Duke will only be in the UK for about 24 hours
A source said about his short visit before the coronation The sun: ‘Harry will be in and out of the UK within 24 hours.
“He just does the coronation service and then leaves.”
Earlier this month it was reported that the prince would go it alone at the coronation, leaving wife Megan with their children Archie and Lilibet.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the news in a statement several weeks ago, saying it was ‘happy to confirm’ that the Duke of Sussex will be at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
But the Duchess of Sussex stays at home at the couple’s Montecito residence with year-old Lilibet and Archie.
Following the earlier announcement of the royal couple’s presence, and a royal observer told MailOnline: ‘Charles will be pleased. The rest of the family will be relieved that Meghan won’t be there – it would have been extremely uncomfortable for Kate.”
There had been much uncertainty in the palace about the presence of the Sussexes. They thought they had left royal officials were unable to agree on seating, transport and security as the announcement came after the official RSVP date.
But Harry, who exposed his troubled relationship with the royal family in his Netflix documentary and autobiography Spare, will now witness the coronation of his father Charles and stepmother, the Queen Consort, next month.
Queen Consort Camilla and King Charles, photographed at the 2013 State Opening of Parliament
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are photographed in Malton, North Yorkshire, on April 5
The late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan attend Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020
The Gold State Coach at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London in June 2022
Harry’s presence comes despite the rift within the royal family prompted by the Duke’s decision to reveal family secrets in his bestseller.
The revelations, including details of private conversations with his father – and his brother, Prince William – fueled tensions between Harry and his family that became public when he and his wife moved to North America in 2020.
The book also contained allegations that members of the royal family regularly give the press unflattering information about other members of the House of Windsor in exchange for positive coverage of themselves.
When asked in an interview in January if he would attend the coronation if invited, Harry said: ‘A lot can happen between now and then. But the door is always open.’
Harry’s presence will see him appear in a public setting with Charles, Camilla, his brother the Prince of Wales, sister-in-law the Princess of Wales and the rest of his family for the first time since he denounced the royals in his memoir.
It will also be the first time he has been photographed with the Windsors since the funeral of his grandmother, the late Queen.
Harry criticized Charles’s parenting, said the king was jealous of Meghan and Kate, and accused William of physically assaulting him in his tell-all book, which was published in January.
He also labeled Camilla “dangerous” and accused her of sacrificing him on her own “personal PR altar.”