Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, joined other members of the royal family of the UK as he attended the coronation ceremony of his father King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on 6th May 2023. As he arrived at the Abbey, Prince Harry seemed calm and spoke with his cousin Princess Beatrice.
Prince Harry reached London on Friday, but he will supposedly fly back to the US following the celebration of his son Prince Archie’s birthday. Prince Archie is still with his mother, Meghan Markle, in Los Angeles, where he will celebrate his fourth birthday. In January 2020, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. This decision caused controversy and media attention, as it was seen as a break from tradition.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last month that Prince Harry would attend the ceremony alone, without his wife Meghan Markle. However, it has been announced that neither Prince Harry nor his uncle Prince Andrew will have a formal role in the ceremony, as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family. Despite having served in the army for a decade, including two tours of Afghanistan, Prince Harry did not wear robes or military uniform, unlike other members of the family.
Since the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, there has been further strain on his relationship with other members of the royal family. The book detailed fall-outs and disagreements with relatives, and Harry has spoken publicly about feeling like an outsider from the rest of his family. The decision for Meghan Markle to decline the invitation to attend the ceremony was seen by many as a reflection of these ongoing family tensions. Additionally, it was recently revealed that the King attempted to prevent Prince Harry from pursuing legal action against newspapers over allegations of phone hacking.
On 6th May 2023, Charles III was crowned as the new King of the United Kingdom. He ascends to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8th, 2022, after a reign of more than 69 years. The territories held by the British monarchy include the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Jamaica among several other countries and territories worldwide. King Charles III will rule over these territories as the new monarch.