Prince Harry will attend his father King Charles III’s coronation this Saturday, May 6, but he will not have a role in the ceremony.
The Duke of Sussex landed in the UK today for the celebrations, but wasn’t joined by his wife Meghan Markle – who decided to stay in California with their two children.
The couple stepped down as senior working members of the Royal family in March 2020, so Harry won’t have an official role in the coronation – unlike his older brother Prince William.
Shortly after King Charles is officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, Prince William, the heir to the British throne, will kneel at his father’s feet, place his hands between the monarch’s, and swear his loyalty to him.
Meanwhile, Harry will be watching from the congregation, alongside other relatives.
This is the first time the Duke of Sussex will see his family since he made shocking claims about the Institution in his Netflix docu-series with Meghan, and his explosive memoir Spare.
According to BAZAAR.com, Harry will be in London for less than 48 hours to attend his father’s coronation.
It’s understood the 38-year-old will leave immediately after to return to Meghan and their two kids in California.
King Charles’ coronation falls on same day as the fourth birthday of the couple’s eldest child, Prince Archie.
The celebrations will kick off with King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla leaving Buckingham Palace in procession, known as The King’s Procession, at 10.20am.
They are expected to arrive at Westminster Abbey at approximately 10.53am – where they will be joined by some 2,300 guests.
The service, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, will begin at 11am and continue for two hours.
King Charles will officially be crowned the new British monarch at around midday; The Archbishop of Canterbury will place St Edward’s Crown on the 74-year-old’s head, and trumpets will sound and gun salutes will be fired across the UK.
The newly crowned King and Queen will then return to Buckingham Palace in procession, a 1.3km journey.
The couple will receive a royal salute from the military in the palace gardens at 1.45pm.
Charles and Camilla be joined on the balcony by other members of the Royal Family to watch a flypast at around 2.15pm.
For those who wish to watch the historic occasion from Ireland, RTÉ One will be broadcasting the event from 10am until 2.05pm.
Ray Kennedy will present the coverage, and will be joined by a number of guests.
If you’re looking for even more in-depth coverage of the coronation, BBC One, ITV and Sky will be broadcasting the ceremony from 7am until 3pm.
The following day, there will be a star-studded concert at Windsor Castle that will be broadcast by the BBC.
The concert “will bring global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion.”
The Palace announced: “The concert will see a world-class orchestra play interpretations of musical favourites fronted by some of the world’s biggest entertainers, alongside performers from the world of dance.”
“The performances will be supported by staging and effects located on the Castle’s East Lawn and will also feature a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.”
Performers at the concert include: Take That, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, Freya Ridings and Alexis Ffrench.
The Coronation Big Lunch will also take place on May 9, where members of the community will be “invited to share food and fun together … in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship.”
The festivities will conclude on Monday, May 8 when “members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.”
The Palace explained: “The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.”
King Charles ascended to the throne following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth last September.
