King Charles and Prince William Reportedly at Odds Over Prince Harry Coming to Coronation
Prince William and Prince Harry's feud has reportedly caused a rift between Prince William and King Charles III over the impending coronation. A source close to the monarchy told The Daily Mail this weekend that Prince William does not want his younger brother to attend the coronation, but the king does. They said that the king has asked for a mediator to work with his sons on this issue.
King Charles III became the reigning king in September when Queen Elizabeth II passed away, but his formal coronation won't take place until May 6, 2023. That will also be a big day for William, Prince of Wales, who is now officially the heir to the throne. A senior source inside Lambeth Palace told reporters that Prince William fears Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle will overshadow the coronation and the crown itself if they attend the event.
King Charles apparently disagrees with this take and he is looking for a solution that will be amicable to everyone. The source said that the king has reached out to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, asking him to mediate between Prince William and Prince Harry so that Prince Harry can attend the coronation. Welby will officiate the coronation, and the king believes he can ease the tensions between these bitter brothers.
"The family is split, and all the indications are that Harry is being advised to agree to nothing at this stage and 'play it long' right up to the last minute, which is making negotiations with him very difficult," the source said. "Harry's camp made clear that the idea that he would just attend the Coronation and behave himself but then be stripped of his titles was a total non-starter. While he might decide at some point to discard his titles of his own volition, he objects to the idea of being forcibly stripped of them."
Prince William's main objection to their attendance is that the media will focus heavily on them and they will overshadow the crown itself in the public consciousness. However, the king reportedly believes the opposite – that excluding Prince Harry and Markle from the coronation would only stir up more drama and lead to further speculation. He hopes to put the issues between his sons to rest in a matter of months so that they can present a united front for the ceremony in May.
That may be difficult after the publication of Prince Harry's memoir Spare, which included never-before-heard details about his childhood in Buckingham Palace and the difficulties that rocked his family over the years. The prince detailed his relationship with William and even described a shoving match they had shortly before Prince Harry and Markle moved out of Buckingham Palace.
The king reportedly hopes to tempt Prince Harry to attend the coronation with the honor of high-profile seating at the event as well as a promise that he will not be stripped of his royal titles. So far, the royal family has not commented on these reports. The coronation is scheduled for May 6, 2023.