Prince Harry and Meghan Markle split over King’s coronation plans’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped a bombshell on King Charles III after finally revealing their plans for his coronation, more than a week after the RSVP deadline.

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Prince Harry will attend King Charles III’s coronation without his wife Meghan Markle, who will remain behind in the United States with their two children.

The palace confirmed Prince Harry will travel alone to London to see his father crowned King, reuniting the spare heir with his estranged family for the first time since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May,” the palace said in a statement confirmed by the Archwell Foundation.

“The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”

Prince Harry will be reunited with his estranged family for the first time since the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Getty Images

Ms Markle will stay behind at the couple’s Montecito home to celebrate Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, which falls on the same day as Britain’s new sovereign ascends the throne.

Ms Markle’s unofficial biographer, Omid Scobie, suggested the American princess chose her children over the crowning moment of her father-in-law.

“I understand that Archie’s fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a factor in the couple’s decision,” he said.

“Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.”

Prince Harry had been debating whether to return for the coronation after reportedly holding out for an apology from his family that never came.

He was also said to have been quibbling with the palace over whether their eldest, Archie, would be an active participant in the coronation amid reports the King elevated Camilla’s five grandchildren to key roles.

A source close to the House of Sussex told The New York Post they decided as a family, after a lengthy weeks-long process, that it would “inauthentic” for Ms Markle to attend “after everything that has been said and all the things that have gone down”.

“They had to make a decision that felt genuine and authentic,” the insider said. “The words that Harry and Meghan have said about the importance of their family are lining up with their actions.

“They care about their family, so Meghan is going to stay and Harry is going to support his dad.”

“If she was super controlling, then she could have made sure that Harry didn’t go,” they added, seemingly referencing reports of Ms Markle’s domineering nature. “She’s all good, she supports Harry — they both have nothing more to prove.”

Meghan Markle will remain behind in California to celebrate the fourth birthday of son Archie. Picture: Supplied

When asked in January whether he would attend, Prince Harry said the “door is always open” but that the “ball is in their court”.

“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then,” he said. “There’s a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they’re willing to sit down and talk about it.”

The uncertainty over the Sussex’s attendance, more than a week after the RSVP deadline of April 3, left royal officials delaying plans to add their names to the order of service and unable to sign off arrangements for seating, transport and security.

Royal biographer Robert Jobson told News Corp Australia that delaying their response until three weeks before the event had been seen as rude within royal circles, with Prince William said to be “baffled” by his brother’s indecision.

“They’ve got two healthy children, money, and great life and the King loves his son, it would be the world for him to be there, but Harry kept dragging his heels,” Mr Jobson said.

“It’s right that Harry should be there. The King has been gracious and given in and invited them to the coronation.”

Prince Harry will reportedly be excluded from the royal balcony and other key coronation roles. Picture: Getty Images

A Sussex spokesperson previously confirmed on March 4 that Prince Harry and Ms Markle were invited but did not mention their children, igniting the speculation that the Duchess would remain behind in the United States.

The likelihood of Ms Markle’s absence increased when, just days later, King Charles evicted the Sussex family from Frogmore Cottage, which they felt was their last safe space in the United Kingdom after losing their state-sponsored security.

King Charles and Prince William never acquiesced to Prince Harry’s demands, despite his surprise return to London the week before the RSVP deadline approached, ostensibly to attend a defamation trial but seen as another attempt to push for a response from his family.

As the RSVP deadline came and went last week, Prince William was reportedly left stunned at his brother’s silence despite everyone expecting him to attend the ceremony.

“Relations have never been this bad and it feels like Harry is just stringing it out to try and be difficult, frankly,” an inside source said last week.

As he is no longer a working royal, Prince Harry is not eligible to stand alongside the family on the Palace balcony or be included in a “final group of 15” expected to follow the horse-drawn Gold Stage Coach the King and Queen will take to Westminster Abbey.

The 15 are said to be working members of the royal family that represent the “heartbeat and future of the family”, according to reports.

That does not include Prince Andrew or Prince Harry’s children that remain behind in the US. Their exclusion from the event has been seen as a “victory lap” for Camilla, who Prince Harry smeared as the “villain” during the media tour for his memoir, Spare.

Camilla’s five grandchildren, aged between 13 and 15 years old, were said to have been selected to hold a golden canopy over King Charles as he’s anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop, which takes place just before the investiture and crowning.

Their inclusion was reportedly a surprise to Prince William, who is not particularly close to Camilla’s two children, food critic Tom Parker Bowles, who has two children, Lola, 15, and Freddy, 23, and gallerist Laura Lopes, who has three, Eliza, 15, and twins Louis and Gus, 13.

Among the Pages of Honour will be Prince George and seven other boys, children of friends and family of the King.