Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, will attend his father King Charles III’s coronation next month without his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
A Sussex spokesperson confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Harry alone will be attending the ceremony, to be held at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, May 6 (which also happens to be Archie’s 4th birthday).
The duke will be one of the approximately 2,000 guests seated within the church as the King is crowned alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. Palace representatives declined to comment on whether Harry will take part in the ceremonial procession to and from Westminster Abbey or appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside the King, Queen, and other members of the royal family following the coronation service. The Sussexes did not appear on the balcony during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year, as attendance was limited to working members of the royal family.
The coronation will mark the first time that Harry will see — and be seen in public with — other members of the royal family since the release of his bombshell autobiography Spare. The memoir is full of startling revelations about his royal life and the factors that led to his estrangement from his family. One of the many shocking moments detailed in Spare is a time when Prince William reportedly physically attacked Harry during an argument about Meghan.
Although the Palace has yet to provide all of the details about the coronation it’s likely that William, as first in line to the throne, will have a prominent role in the ceremony. His eldest son Prince George will serve as a page, as will the Queen’s grandchildren.
On April 4, the White House confirmed that first lady Jill Biden will be attending the coronation on behalf of the United States.