Prince Harry made his first public appearance with the Royal Family since the release of his controversial memoir, Spare.
Prince Harry turns up to coronation without Meghan Markle
He attended his father’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey, sitting two rows behind his brother, the Prince of Wales. The Duke of Sussex arrived alone, without his wife Meghan Markle, who remained in the US and left immediately after the ceremony.
The Prince was not invited to appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to greet the crowds after the ceremony. As reported by BBC News, sources close to the family revealed he has since headed to Heathrow Airport.
Prince Harry wore a morning suit and medals at the ceremony and sat with his cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank in the third row, along with his uncle the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, sat in the front row.
For the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last year, Prince Harry was in the second row – directly behind the King – at the abbey. Relations between Prince Harry and other members of the family have been strained since the memoir’s release.
The book vividly revealed fallouts and disagreements with relatives, and he has since spoken of feeling “different” from the rest of his family.
The decision for Meghan to reject the invitation was widely seen as part of these continuing, unresolved family tensions.
Last month, it was revealed that the King tried to stop Prince Harry from taking legal action against newspapers over alleged phone hacking.
In a witness statement revealed by court papers, Prince Harry said he was “summoned to Buckingham Palace” and told to drop the cases because of the effect on the family.
The Duke of Sussex’s appearance at the Coronation marks a significant step towards mending the family’s strained relationship. However, it remains unclear if this is a temporary truce or a genuine move towards reconciliation.
Prince Harry has since headed back to the US, where his son Archie is celebrating his fourth birthday. It remains to be seen how the Royal Family’s relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan will evolve in the coming months.