Prince Harry 'wanted Charles to contact him directly' with Coronation …
Prince Harry 'wanted to hear from King Charles directly' about his Coronation invitation but it did not happen that way, a friend reportedly claimed. The Duke of Sussex instead received an email from his father's officer about the big day, reports suggested. It was confirmed last week that Harry, 38, will attend the momentous occasion on 6 May - but wife Meghan Markle will miss it, instead staying at home in Montecito, California with their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one.
The news that the Duke would be going to King Charles' Coronation without the Duchess put an end to months of 'will they/won't they' speculation over the pair's attendance - which was cast into doubt after Harry's bombshell memoir Spare directed criticism towards the Royal Family on its release in January.
Prince Harry 'wanted to hear from King Charles directly' about his Coronation invitation but initially that did not happen, a friend said (Image: Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
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Now, a close friend of Harry's has said he did not receive his invitation to the historic ceremony in the way he had hoped. The pal told People: "They didn't hear from Charles. Harry wanted to hear from his father directly -- it's always through somebody."
The friend added that Harry is attending the Coronation as a show of support to his father, "not an institution". "This is about a son showing up for his father rather than the optics of the institution," the pal went on. OK! has contacted the Sussexes and the Palace for comment on the claim.
King Charles III's Coronation is fast approaching, taking place on the 6th May at Westminster Abbey (Image: GETTY)
Another source told the publication the father and son eventually connected, although not in person, and had "positive conversations".
The insider added it was the King's "first wish" for Harry to join him at his Coronation. According to reports, Harry and the King, 74, had a 'heart to heart' conversation before the Duke accepted the invitation. The pair reportedly ended months of no contact to discuss the big day, with sources claiming there was a "willingness and wanting to mend on both sides".
Relations between the Sussexes and the Royal Family have been strained since the couple decided to step back from senior royal duties in 2020.
Relations between the Sussexes and the Royal Family have been strained since the couple decided to step back from senior royal duties (Image: Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan went on to give a damaging interview to Oprah Winfrey in 2021 - which was followed up at the end of last year with their controversial Netflix documentary. Tensions were then heightened further at the start of this year with the release of Harry's book. But insiders claimed Harry decided to attend the Coronation in a bid to show "support for his father" and to mark the "importance and significance" of the occasion for the country.
It has been said that Harry and Prince William have no plans for a reconciliation meeting at the historic event.
Meanwhile, excitement is now building ahead of the Coronation - which is only a matter of weeks away - with preparations outside the Palace in full swing.
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