Looking back on the Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla, it’s clear that many viewers were holding their breath for some drama involving Prince Harry. After months of speculation, the king’s younger son confirmed that he would attend the ceremony while his wife Meghan Markle and their children would stay home in the U.S. What surprised viewers was how quickly Prince Harry turned around to rejoin them.
Prince Harry’s highly-publicized feud with the rest of the royal family has become a shadow over the monarchy and any news cycle relating to it. Pundits speculated wildly about whether Prince Harry would attend, whether his presence would stir up and drama and so on – all with the looming fear that the prince’s mere appearance would overshadow the U.K.’s first coronation in seven decades. It’s no wonder that many of Prince Harry’s supporters saw it as a victory for him when he arrived, smiled for the cameras, and left without any major fuss.
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Prince Harry arrived in London on Friday night before the coronation and left as soon as it was over. While the rest of the royal family joined the parade going back to Buckingham Palace for more fanfare, Prince Harry got into a car alone, drove straight to the airport, and flew home to Los Angeles. He arrived there at 7:30 p.m. local time – just in time to celebrate Prince Archie’s fourth birthday with his family. While there were no viral moments from his trip back to the U.K., his very unassuming nature has taken on a bit of a memetic quality.
Some fans congratulated Prince Harry on avoiding drama, especially as they believe the press in the U.K. is actively hostile towards him. Others went even further, saying that the coronation itself was lackluster because of Prince Harry’s limited involvement. Reports that the king was disappointed when Prince Harry didn’t stay for further celebrations delighted some commenters. Here’s a look at how the conversation has played out on social media.
Unbothered
Pundits emphasized things like Prince Harry’s dress code, his lack of ceremonial role and his seating placement ahead of the coronation, implying that these kinds of things might bother him. Fans were delighted to see photos where the prince smiled and seemed happy, apparently not thinking about those factors at all.
Minimal
Since Prince Harry’s role in the coronation itself was minimized, fans applauded him for minimizing his involvement as much as possible.
Generational Perception
As young people commented on the coronation, many people marveled at how an entire generation’s perception of the monarchy would be colored by moments like this one.
Priorities
Fans praised Prince Harry for prioritizing Prince Archie’s birthday celebration so highly that he rushed home to be there.
Lunch
After the coronation reports emerged that Prince Harry was invited to a formal lunch with the royal family but he declined in order to fly home immediately. Readers debated whether the king was truly “disappointed” by this news, and applauded Prince Harry for standing his ground.
Solidarity
Finally, Prince Harry’s commentary from earlier this year made the rounds again this weekend as fans speculated that he had left the coronation early as a sign of solidarity with his wife.
