Prince Harry leaves Meghan Markle and family in California as he arrives in UK for King Charles' coronation
Prince Harry has arrived in the UK ahead of his father King Charles' historic coronation on Saturday. The Duke of Sussex arrived in the country early on Friday May 6, after taking a commercial flight.
Meghan will not travel to the UK and has instead remained in the US with the couple’s children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The palace said in a brief statement in April: "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
It is not known how long Harry will stay in the UK but it seems he may want to fly home as soon as possible to celebrate his son Prince Archie's fourth birthday.
Harry's attendance will see him appear in a public setting with Charles, Queen Camilla, his brother the Prince of Wales, sister-in-law the Princess of Wales and the rest of his family for the first time since he detailed his strained relationship with the royals in his memoir, Spare.
It will also be the first time he has been pictured with them since the funeral of his grandmother the late Queen in September.
In the three years since Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals, the couple have been critical of the monarchy, telling their story in their Netflix documentary and in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The couple were asked earlier this year to vacate their UK home Frogmore Cottage, in a move sanctioned by the King. It is unclear what the arrangements will be for Harry’s security while he is in London.
It is also believed Harry will not play any particular role in the coronation ceremony, and whether he will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the royal family in the celebrations afterwards is yet to be seen.
A weekend of royal festivities is being held including a balcony appearance after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on the Saturday, a concert at Windsor Castle and Big Lunch events on Sunday, and Bank Holiday Monday has been set aside for volunteering and is being billed as the "Big Help Out".
Harry was last seen publicly in the UK at the end of March 2023, when he made a surprise appearance at the High Court, in a separate claim against Associated Newspapers over allegations of unlawful information-gathering.
However, at the time, it was reported that the Duke did not meet with his father or brother during his brief stay.
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