It sounds like for once in his adult life, Prince Harry is putting the royal side of his family above anything else.
By now, you should know the Duke of Sussex has decided to make the trek to the UK for his father King Charles III’s coronation next month, even though he never received the apology he wanted. He also won’t be traveling with his kids or wife Meghan Markle, which seems like a pretty big deal! After all, they’ve been the most prioritized family members of his life since they came into it.
The new monarch is said to be “pleased” by this decision — probably because Harry is finally showing his loyalty to the royals! But why has Harry decided to attend after months of begging for reconciliation first??
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A close friend opened up about this with People on Wednesday, and from their POV, it sounds like Harry came to the conclusion showing up for his dad was the only option he had:
“At this point, it’s become so personal. Maybe what they wanted wasn’t achieved, but at the end of the day, he’s going there to support his dad.”
Still, don’t expect much to change, a place insider added:
“Things are strained.”
While Charles was deeply hurt by all the allegations Harry revealed in his memoir Spare, as well as in other media appearances, it was his “first wish” to have his youngest son be present for the coronation, a source close to the royals said. It’ll look a lot better for his reign if he has both his children present, that’s for sure!
It’s likely going to be a tough ceremony for Harry though since he won’t have his wife by his side and he is not expected to participate in any of the official events, including standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Interestingly, he’s apparently not too bothered by this. A source who knows the royals revealed the 38-year-old “will happily go along with whatever the plan is.” They also noted his main concern about attending the coronation wasn’t the royal rift but issues with his security, which have been addressed.
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As for Meghan’s absence, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told the outlet Prince Archie‘s birthday, which falls on the day of the coronation, was a perfect excuse. She said:
“It’s an elegant solution. [It] gave them a reasonable out for Meghan not to come.”
A close friend went on to say the Suits alum would have liked to attend, but after receiving so much backlash from the UK media for attending Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral, it didn’t seem right:
“Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law, but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support. There’s always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?”
Meanwhile, a palace insider added:
“It would have been quite significant if Harry hadn’t attended his father’s coronation, but I’m not surprised Meghan isn’t going given the circumstances.”
Pretty sad to see the family feud and the British public are keeping Meghan at bay. She used to have such a close relationship with Charles, who stepped in for her father, Thomas Markle, at her wedding and walked her down the aisle. Guess it’s a sign of the times.
While things aren’t going down exactly as the Sussexes would have liked, a royal household source believes the Archewell founder will be pleased with his decision in the future:
“He will look back on it and think it is better to come and play his part and say, ‘I saw my father crowned.’ And tell his children about it.”
We’d have to say we agree. If he wants to make amends, showing up for his father is a big step. But what do YOU think?! Let us know (below)!
[Image via MEGA/Euan Cherry/WENN]
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