Seating, security and transport were thrown awry by Prince Harry’s coronation indecision

The refusal of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to reveal their coronation RSVP threw the King’s meticulous planning awry. Here’s how much damage the Sussex delay has caused.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dithering threw planning for the King‘s Coronation awry as organisers were left frustrated by their refusal to confirm by the RSVP deadline, sources have claimed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have finally confirmed they would split for the May 6 ceremony at Westminster Abbey, with Prince Harry travelling to London and Ms Markle remaining behind in California.

Their decision came nine days after the response deadline of April 3 and left Buckingham Palace with just three weeks and three days to finalise arrangements for the massive event.

The uncertainty left royal officials delaying minor and major elements of the plans, from adding their names to the order of service and unassigned seating, to sign-off on vital transport and sensitive security arrangements.

Royal biographer, author and commentator Robert Jobson said planning for such a key moment in British history “takes time”, and that it couldn’t get finalised until the Sussex’s confirmation.

“Harry had been rude, just rude by keeping the palace guessing, he knows it would mean the world to his father if he went, but Harry just kept dragging his heels, nothing the King does is right,” Jobson said.

“The king has been gracious and given in and invited them both to the coronation but their demands never end,” he added. “Now at least the coronation plans can get finalised.”

King Charles III said to be left upset over his son Harry’s reluctance to RSVP to the coronation invite. Photo Getty Images

The Duke had been deliberating whether to fly in solo and leave his wife in the US, given that Archie will celebrate his fourth birthday on the day of the Coronation.

Organisers had been instructed to finalise coronation plans on the presumption Prince Harry and Ms Markle will attend “unless advised otherwise”.

Mr Jobson, whose book Our King: Charles III: The Man is published in Australia on May 6, said: ‘The Sussexes had been given an RSVP, but they have missed that deadline.

“Frankly, Harry needs to come to support his dad.

“By Keeping everyone guessing, he was turning the limelight on himself – this was deliberate,” he said.

The estranged royals had given organisers the run-around over whether they will attend in a series of emails with Buckingham Palace in recent weeks, with one source telling the UK Daily Mirror they refused to confirm “either way”.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the delay was the latest example of Prince Harry and Ms Markle using their remaining leverage to sow uncertainty within Buckingham Palace for their personal benefit.

“Do they put their names on the order of service, or don‘t they? Do they add them to Abbey seating plans and dinner table arrangements after or don’t they? All this takes effort and to correct the plans once signed off is a headache in itself,” said royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.

“This delay was all about controlling the narrative – that‘s what Harry and Meghan do best, it’s all about them and they have a small window to maximise the attention before the coronation, and they had taken it,” he said.

King Charles III and the Queen Consort are running behind in their plans to finalise the coronation on May 6. Photo AFP

The Abbey will be filled with 2,000 people for the service – whittled down from a potential guest list of 7,000 – including leaders from France, Spain and Japan.

US President Joe Biden telephoned the King to let him know he will not be attending the service in central London, sending his wife Jill instead, after already making a trip to Belfast in the United Kingdom to mark the Good Friday agreement.

It was reported that the president’s decision last week had somehow solidified the decision by Prince Harry and Ms Markle, but it was unclear how.

At 74, the King will be the oldest ever to be crowned when he becomes the nation’s 40th monarch.

The service will be saturated in pomp and pageantry, despite the King‘s decision to trim down the occasion.

The coronation ceremony will begin at 11am on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. Photo AFP

The service will open at 11am and be “solemn and religious” but with a mix of “celebration and pageantry”, according to the Royal Family website.

It will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long standing traditions.”

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

The historic ceremonial position will see the eight youngsters – four for each monarch – carry the King and Queen‘s robes into the Abbey.

While Harry has decided to the service, he will not take part in the Coronation procession nor join senior royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The Prince of Wales, the second in line to the throne, is expected to kneel to “pay homage” to the King, before touching the crown and kissing his father‘s cheek.

The action is usually performed by all the royal dukes, but the King scrapped the tradition, relieving Prince Harry of any ceremonial duties

Originally published as Seating, security and transport were thrown awry by Prince Harry’s coronation indecision