Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on the brink of confirming whether they will attend King Charles’s Coronation next month, sources have claimed, while the Duke of Sussex has ‘a lot of questions about how the event will work’.
Buckingham Palace is making final preparations for the once-in-a-generation ceremony, which will see Charles ascend to the throne at Westminster Abbey on May 6 – while Camilla will be made Queen.
But despite the deadline for RSVPs reportedly passing on Monday, it is understood the Sussexes have yet to tell palace aides if they will be flying in from California for the service.
However a source told The Times: ‘I hear they are going to confirm their plans soon, particularly now that Biden has.’
US President Joe Biden called Charles to let him know he will not be attending the service in central London, sending his wife Jill instead, in what some commentators have viewed as a snub.
Despite the deadline for RSVPs reportedly passing on Monday, it is understood the Sussexes have yet to tell palace aides if they will be flying in from California for the ceremony
Another source said Harry has ‘a lot of questions about how the event will work’
The New York Post reported that plans are vbeing finalised for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to fly in for the Coronation.
A source said: ‘There have been lengthy discussions between the Sussexes and the palace.
‘There is a time crunch on this, of course. It is such a historical event and it’s hoped that Harry and Meghan will be there.’
Another source said: ‘All families are difficult, but this is no normal family, of course.
‘Harry has a lot of questions about how the event will work.’
The service is expected to be watched by hundreds of millions across the globe in what will be a masterclass in pomp and pageantry – despite the King’s decision to ‘slim down’ the occasion.
If Harry and Meghan do attend the service, they will not take part in the Coronation procession afterwards nor join senior royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, it was previously reported.
Prince William will be the only royal liege at the ceremony, and only he will kneel to ‘pay homage’ to the King, before touching the crown and kissing his father’s cheek.
The action is usually performed by all the royal dukes, but Charles scrapped the traditional obligation, effectively absolving Prince Harry of any ceremonial duties.
Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie, aged three, and one-year-old Lilibet, are too young to perform roles in the ceremony. They have reportedly not been invited to the event.
Royal author Phil Dampier previously told MailOnline: ‘They are too young to be involved in the actual ceremony but of course the King would love to see his grandchildren if they came over and it must be heartbreaking for him that he never sees them.’
The late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan attend the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9, 2020
Prince William will be the only royal liege at the ceremony, and only he will kneel to ‘pay homage’ to the King, before touching the crown and kissing his father’s right cheek.
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The Sussexes should not expect to play a significant role in the coronation of King Charles when they cannot even decide if they are going, royal experts said this week
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam said the Sussexes will ‘almost certainly have no role’ in the coronation.
He told MailOnline this week: ‘They want the royal family to own that they treated them badly when they were senior working royals and apologise. This won’t happen.
‘Lili is not yet two and is almost certainly too young to have attended but the ceremony falls on Archie’s fourth birthday.
‘He might have attended, though he is obviously too young for a role. They have reportedly not been invited.’
He added: ‘Harry and Meghan will almost certainly attend as they would be isolated if they did not.
‘When they do attend, as I fully expect they will, they will almost certainly have no role to perform in the ceremony.
The boys chosen to carry the couple’s robes into Westminster Abbey demonstrate Charles and Camilla’s decision to put family and friends at the heart of this historic occasion
‘The royal family knows how to deal with them and is only too aware of the harm they have willfully done the royal family for monetary gain.
‘The talk with other royals will be of the weather.
‘They will not, with reason, be trusted. They have only themselves to blame for that and for their declining ratings.’
Westminster Abbey will be filled with 2,000 people for the service – down from a potential guestlist of 7,000 – including leaders from the likes of France, Spain and Japan.
Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned in the Abbey and at 74 at the time of the ceremony, the oldest to ever be crowned.
The service itself will be ‘solemn and religious’ while also offering ‘celebration and pageantry’, according to the official Royal Family website.
While the start time has not been confirmed, Queen Elizabeth II’s ceremony began at 11.15am and lasted nearly three hours.
However the Mail on Sunday previously revealed that the service is expected to last for just over an hour.
It will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and ‘will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions.’
Among those will be the role of the Page of Honour, carried out by Prince George and seven other boys.
The historic ceremonial position will see the eight youngsters – four for each monarch – carry the King and Queen’s robes into the Abbey.
