Today’s announcement that Prince Harry will be coming to London for his father’s coronation is not a surprise. Yet it comes with a sting in the tail. It has been revealed that Meghan will not be attending; the official statement from Buckingham Palace, while saying that they were ‘pleased’ that the Duke of Sussex would be present, also announced ‘The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’.
Usually, there would be some face-saving explanation for her absence, but as none has been offered, speculation will begin immediately. No doubt the ever-active ‘friends’ of Harry and Meghan will soon start spreading discord more or less immediately; expect quotes that suggest that the Duchess would feel unwelcome, or unsafe, or out of place, or any number of potential reasons for her absence. Given that she was able to attend the Queen’s funeral last September in a comparatively low-profile fashion, it seems strange that the same thing may not happen again. But since then, there has been a Netflix series, Prince Harry’s memoir and countless off-the-record briefings. She is right to feel that she might be persona non grata.
Which leaves the question of what Harry will do in his solo capacity. He has frequently suggested that the price for his attendance at the coronation was an apology from his father and brother for the wrongs done to him, real or perceived, but it is unclear when this apology was offered, if indeed it has been. (Somehow, the idea of it taking place over a family Zoom call seems unlikely.) On his most recent visit to Britain, for one of his innumerable High Court sessions, it was suggested that King Charles was ‘too busy’ to see his son – an open snub, if ever there was one – and it remains unclear as to whether there will be any private meeting between the two before the coronation. After all, the King might be forgiven for citing the pressures of the job.
In any case, Harry, who is no longer a working royal, will find his official presence at the ceremony a muted one. He will not take part in the main processions to and from Westminster Abbey, nor will he appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the coronation. Although he will be the second most discussed person on the day, he will be playing a supporting role to his father – in both senses – and the opportunity for grandstanding will be limited. If the news of his presence suggests that a truce of some kind has been brokered, his wife’s absence and the lack of any news of his asked-for apology means that this is a temporary break in fighting, rather than a ceasefire, and business as usual will almost certainly resume in the aftermath of the coronation. The second series of Harry and Meghan just got considerably more interesting.
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