Prince Harry will go to his father’s coronation as King Charles III, but Meghan Markle won’t be with him.
Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that the Duke of Sussex will be at the crowning of King Charles and Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6. “Buckingham Palace is happy to announce that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6. They said in the statement, “The Duchess of Sussex will stay in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
A friend tells PEOPLE that Prince Harry, who is 38 years old, wanted to be at the service to show his support for his father at this important time in his life.
Even though there are three days of events leading up to the coronation, including a concert at Windsor Castle and a volunteer day, Harry is not expected to go to anything other than the crowning ceremony.
Meghan, who is 41, is staying with the couple’s two children in California. Prince Archie’s birthday is also on May 6, and she will spend the weekend with him and his sister, Princess Lilibet, who is 22 months old.
After stepping down as senior royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan moved to California. The last time they were with the rest of the royal family in the U.K. was at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September. Harry also made a surprise trip to the U.K. last month. He went to London’s High Court for a case in which he and other famous people like Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and Jude Law’s ex-wife Sadie Frost are suing the publisher of the Daily Mail, Associated Newspapers Ltd. (ANL) for illegally gathering information.
After hearing that their daughter Princess Lilibet was recently christened in California, it was confirmed that the couple will be there. The statement was important because it was the first time Prince Harry and Meghan spoke about the royal titles of their children. In the same way, their son is now called Prince Archie of Sussex.
During the coronation weekend, the Duchess of Sussex is staying in California with her two children, where they will celebrate Prince Archie’s birthday.