Royal family: Prince Harry to attend coronation without Meghan

Prince Harry will be at King Charles' coronation in May, but Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex won't be going.

Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for the couple has confirmed the plans.

Many people have wondered whether the couple would be at the coronation, after the Duke of Sussex published a book called Spare with details on his difficult relationship with his family.

The coronation, which takes place at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May will be the first time he will have been seen with the Royal Family since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

Why did people think Harry might not attend the coronation?

In 2020 Prince Harry and Meghan announced they would "step back" from being working members of the Royal family and they left the UK, moving to Canada and then California in the USA.

Since then he's spoken about what he feels is the unfair and negative treatment he and his wife received at times from the media and from the Royal Family and those who work for them.

Earlier this year Prince Harry published a book about his life called Spare.

It caused a lot of controversy because in it Harry talks about things like fighting with his brother Prince William, and his relationship with his father King Charles III.

It also followed an interview in 2021 that Harry and Meghan did with TV host Oprah Winfrey, where they talked about their relationship with the Royal Family and the impact it has had on them.

Why is Meghan not attending the coronation?

Prince Archie was born on 6 May, the day of King Charles' coronation

The Palace said in a statement: "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May.

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

No reasons were given about why Meghan has chosen not to attend, but some have pointed out that it is Prince Archie's fourth birthday on 6 May, the day of the coronation.

However, BBC News royal correspondent Sean Coughlan says the decision for Meghan to reject the invitation will also be seen as a sign of "family tensions".

What will Prince Harry's role be at the coronation?

In previous years Prince Harry and Meghan have made an appearance on Buckingham Palace's famous balcony

There has been no detail on whether Prince Harry will have a specific role at the coronation.

Although he is the King's son, he is no longer a 'working Royal' so it is possible he won't be joining senior members of the Royal Family on the balcony after the ceremony, but the crowd will be hoping to still get a glimpse of him.

It is expected that Prince William, as the future king, will have important jobs in the coronation - and after Prince Harry's story of their fight, there will be attention on the two brothers being seen together again.

For the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Prince Harry and Meghan were not allowed to take part in the traditional appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

As well as the coronation service, there is a long weekend of public events and concerts which the Royal Family will be expected to attend, but it's not known how long Prince Harry will be in the UK.

More details on the coronation were released earlier this week including the route of the procession.