Why Was Prince Harry Not on the Balcony at the Coronation? A Look Into the Royal Drama
Published May 6 2023, 11:26 a.m. ET
The royal coronation of King Charles III took place in London on May 6, 2023. And even though this was the King's special day, all eyes were on his son Prince Harry.
Specifically, viewers of the event were wondering why Prince Harry was not on the balcony at Buckingham Palace along with his other relatives. Was he not allowed to? What is the status of his relationship with his father? Here is what we know.
Why was Prince Harry not on the balcony at the coronation?
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle gave up their royal responsibilities back in 2020. Because of this, they are no longer considered working members of the royal family.
The only people who were allowed to join King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla on the balcony at the palace following the anointing were active members of the royal family and their kids. This included Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Prince Harry's son's birthday was the same day as the coronation.
In addition to the working royal family rule, the coronation was the same day as Prince Harry's son's birthday. His oldest child Archie turned four on May 6, 2023.
The Duchess of Sussex stayed at home with Archie while Harry was at the royal coronation. But, he was later seen leaving after the coronation, seemingly trying to be there for his son on his birthday.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry doesn't have the best relationship with King Charles.
Even as father and son, Prince Harry has had a difficult relationship with his father, King Charles. In fact, he released his memoir back in January 2023, Spare, which detailed his difficult upbringing.
When addressing the book, he said that, "Forgiveness is 100 percent a possibility because I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back. At the moment, I don't recognize them, as much as they probably don't recognize me."
Not only has he had a difficult relationship with King Charles, but Prince Harry has also been open about his relationship with King Charles' wife, Queen Consort Camilla.
King Charles married Camilla in 2005. Tragically, his first wife and Harry's mother, Princess Diana, whom he divorced in 1996, passed away just a year later. He recently revealed that both he and his brother told their father not to marry Camilla.
Harry said that, "We didn't think it was necessary. We thought that it was gonna cause more harm than good, and if he was now with his person, that — surely that's enough. Why go that far when you don't necessarily need to? We wanted him to be happy. And we saw how happy he was with her. So, at the time, it was, 'OK.'"
It's unclear whether or not the family has patched things up, but Prince Harry's appearance at the royal coronation is a good sign that they are cordial with one another. At least, in the public eye.
