by The office of King Charles III. has contacted Prince Harry about the coronation of the new monarch and has raised the possibility that the prince will attend the historic ceremony despite tensions within the royal family.
If Harry and his wife Meghan were to attend the coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, it would be the first meeting between Charles and his younger son since Harry deepened the rift within the House of Windsor by writing in his bestselling book Family Secrets revealed book, “Reserve.”
A spokesman for Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, confirmed on Sunday that Harry had received “email correspondence” from the King’s office about the coronation. Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be announced by us at this time,” the couple’s office said in a statement.
Speculation as to whether Harry and Meghan would be invited to the coronation has raged since the release of Harry’s explosive memoir, which contained damning allegations of intrigue behind the palace walls.
The revelations, including details of private conversations with his father and brother Prince William, fueled tensions between Harry and his family, which became public when he and his wife moved to North America in 2020.
The book also included allegations that members of the royal family routinely feed the press unflattering information about other members of the House of Windsor in exchange for positive coverage of themselves.
The prince singled out Queen consort Camilla and accused her of leaking private conversations to the media as she tried to redeem her image after marrying Charles. Camilla was once berated for her long-running affair with Charles, which contributed to the breakdown of his marriage to the late Prince Diana, Harry and William’s mother.
The bitterness between Harry and his family became public again this week when the Sussexes admitted they were asked to vacate their home in the UK.
Frogmore Cottage, in the grounds of Windsor Castle west of London, was the couple’s primary residence before they gave up royal duties and moved to Montecito, a wealthy Southern California enclave.
The Sun newspaper reported that on January 11, the day after Harry’s memoir was published, Charles asked her to vacate the apartment.
But issues other than the book may have prompted the request.
Charles, who became king after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, has said he plans to reduce the number of working royals and lower the costs of the monarchy while trying to modernize the 1,000-year-old institution, in hoping to ensure survival.
With Harry and Meghan now residing in California, it may have been considered bad looks to leave a vacant royal residence so they have a place to stay on their occasional visits to the UK.
Harry, meanwhile, continues to share his personal experiences and criticisms of the royal family while promoting his book.
While participating in a livestream conversation with Dr. Gabor Mate, author of The Myth Of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a toxic culture,” the prince spoke of his past drug use and said he pushed other family members into therapy.
He said criticism of Spare won’t shut him up because talking about those issues has helped him deal with the trauma in his life.
“The more they criticize, the more they comment, the more I feel the need to share,” Harry said. “I found a way to look around and ignore the criticism and the abuse for now.”
