Will Prince Harry Attend King Charles III's Coronation With Wife …
With King Charles III's coronation approaching, fans of the royal family are wondering whether Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are expected to attend the high-profile event in May. A coronation is held for any new monarch ascending the throne to publicly celebrate and honor their new monarchical title. "The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry," Buckingham Palace wrote in a statement in October 2022.
Keep reading to find out whether Meghan Markle will attend the coronation with Prince Harry!
When Is King Charles III's Coronation?
The king's coronation is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 6, and will be held at Westminster Abbey in London. Charles is the first British monarch to be formally crowned in the 21st century since his late mother Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in June 1953. The queen died at age 96 in September 2022 after becoming the longest British monarch to reign.
When Is the Coronation of King Charles
Will Prince Harry Attend King Charles' Coronation With Meghan Markle?
In the months leading up to the new king's coronation, it was unclear whether Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan would be present at the ceremony amid their tension with the royal family.
In early March, however, a spokesperson for the founders of Archwell confirmed that the former royal and the Suits alum received an invitation to attend. "I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty's office regarding the coronation," the spokesperson told Us Weekly on March 5. "An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time." According to a statement released by Buckingham Palace on April 12, Harry is expected to attend his father's coronation solo.
"Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May," the palace's statement read. "The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
When Is the Coronation of King Charles
Which Royal Family Members Are Attending King Charles' Coronation?
Apart from Meghan and Harry, more than 2,000 people are expected to attend the upcoming ceremony and festivities. Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate (nee Middleton), will be there in addition to Queen Consort Camilla Bowles. Kate and William's eldest son, Prince George of Wales, is reportedly showing up to his grandfather's coronation as a "page of honor." In addition to their son, Kate and William share daughter Princess Charlotte of Wales and son Prince Louis of Wales. Prince Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie, will also attend the ceremony in addition to Princess Anne.
A handful of royals were not invited, tough, namely the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, a.k.a Fergie. However, she is expected to be sitting in the VIP section of the Coronation Concert outside of Windsor Castle. Additionally, Lady Pamela Hicks, coronation guest Prince Philip's cousin and one of Queen Elizabeth's former bridesmaids, and Charles Spencer, the king's former brother-in-law, reportedly did not receive invitations.
Which Celebrities Are Attending King Charles' Coronation?
Outside of the royal family, a few notable faces from the United States have confirmed their attendance as well.
While President Joe Biden will not be present, his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, will be there, the White House announced in a statement on April 4. "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with King Charles III, underscoring the strength of the relationship between our countries and the friendship between our peoples," the statement read. "The President congratulated the King on his upcoming Coronation and informed him that First Lady Jill Biden looks forward to attending on behalf of the United States.
The President also conveyed his desire to meet with the King in the United Kingdom at a future date." Several well-known music artists will also be performing at the occasion, including American Idol judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. The "All Night Long" artist noted that "it's an honor" to be performing at the event while speaking to Entertainment Tonight on April 16.
"I mean, first of all, when you've been in the business a long time, and, of course, when you get an invitation like this, the answer is 'Absolutely," Lionel told the outlet. "We've been friends a long time, I've known him a long time, but to be asked is the whole thing."