Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s attendance at King Charles’ Coronation has got to be the most talked about royal issues of the moment.
The pair have been invited, they’ve confirmed that, but whether or not they will actually be at Westminster Abbey as part of the 2,000-strong crowd is anyones’ guess. And lots of people are having a guess, with Oprah Winfrey and former royal butler Paul Burrell being just two of the high profile people letting their opinions be known.
After the release of his memoir Spare earlier this year, in which he detailed some shocking allegations about his relatives, a strain haas been left on some of their relationships.
Harry and Meghan could stay at home in California with kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet because of issues raised after the release of Spare, and the fact that the event falls on Archie's birthday. But it’s been reported that there’s a high chance they will both be there, or at least Harry will be, but only if certain conditions are met by Buckingham Palace.
Seating plan
A source has been quoted by the Mail, said to be a friend of the family, who reckons the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be given the “cold shoulder” by the rest of the family and are not set to be seated close to anyone.
The source told the Mail : "They will be given the cold shoulder by very many relatives. One said to me, 'I hope they'll be seated in Iceland.'
"Many of the family just want nothing more to do with them. If they have to see them at the Coronation then so be it, but they do not want to socialise with them."
At the late Queen's funeral, Harry and Meghan sat directly behind Charles and Camilla, in the second row next to Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Ceremonial outfits
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be dressed the same as the rest of the Royal Family if they attend the King’s Coronation.
A royal expert claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be required to provide their own finery for the event and will not be given special robes to stand out, like the rest of their relatives.
Dr Tessa Dunlop reckons Harry and Meghan won't wear robes or a coronet, which is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring.
She told the Mirror : "Causing maximum angst is the vexed question of the Sussexes; will they attend the big day and if so in what capacity? Historical precedent doesn't bode well.
"After his own abdication and fall from grace Edward VIII attended neither the 1937 coronation of his brother George VI nor his niece Elizabeth's in 1953.
"However in our changed times with a father-King who wants both his sons by his side, expect to see Harry there but minus a coronet and robe.
"With the exception of Prince William, at this Coronation peers of the realm will not be paying homage to the new King so it is unlikely that Harry will have to go down on bended knee.
"Likewise if Meghan attends, any Coronation finery will be entirely her own. Expect very few to stand on ceremony for the Duchess of Sussex."
Place on balcony
A source has told the Mirror that the Sussexes are asking Palace chiefs to make sure they’re on the balcony alongside Prince William, Kate and their three children as well as Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex. They weren’t there for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last summer, but the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were.
The insider said: "Once the King has been crowned, there will be a Coronation procession that will start at Westminster Abbey and end at Buckingham Palace. Once the procession reaches the Palace, the King will take to the balcony and wave at the crowds with the rest of the royal family members and their children.
"This is where Harry and Meghan have requested inclusion."
However it doesn’t look likely the pair will get their wish as they will be relegated along with other non-working royals, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and the disgraced Prince Andrew.
Seating plan
A source has been quoted by the Mail, said to be a friend of the family, who reckons the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be given the “cold shoulder” by the rest of the family and are not set to be seated close to anyone.
The source told the Mail: "They will be given the cold shoulder by very many relatives. One said to me, 'I hope they'll be seated in Iceland.'
"Many of the family just want nothing more to do with them. If they have to see them at the Coronation then so be it, but they do not want to socialise with them."
At the late Queen's funeral, Harry and Meghan sat directly behind Charles and Camilla, in the second row next to Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Kneeling to the new King
Both of King Charles’ sons are a presence the monarch wants at his Coronation but they will have very different roles.
A scaled back procession will take place compared to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation 70 years ago.
According to the rehearsal plans, neither the Duke and Duchess of Sussex nor the Duke of York will take part, as they are not working members of the royal family.
The same applies for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, but other members of the family such as the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will be involved.
The Prince of Wales will kneel and pledge allegiance to Charles as well as touching the crown and kissing the monarch's right cheek, but Harry will not follow.
"With the exception of Prince William, at this Coronation peers of the realm will not be paying homage to the new King so it is unlikely that Harry will have to go down on bended knee," says author and historian Tessa Dunlop.
As it stands, there is no role for Harry in the service at all.
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