Royal family 'wondering why Prince Harry bothered to come' to Charles' coronation
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Why bother?!
Prince Harry’s brief trip to the U.K. for King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday left many members of the royal family wondering why he even showed up.
A source close to the family told Vanity Fair, “One makes one’s choices. To be honest there wasn’t much talk of Harry at all. The focus was very much on the occasion.”
In fact, the source even told the outlet that Harry, 38, did not see or speak to his estranged family outside of the ceremony.
And while the working royals remained focused on the big day, the insider noted they were left “wondering why Harry bothered to come at all.”
The royal family wondered why Prince Harry made such a long trip to only stay for 28 hours. Hugo Burnand/Buckinham Palace via Getty Images
The Duke of Sussex arrived in London Friday afternoon and left nearly 24 hours later — before the celebrations were even over.
However, Harry’s quick exit had less to do with his feud with his family than with his desire to make it home for his son Archie’s 4th birthday party — which happened to fall on the same day.
Despite understanding the motive of his Irish goodbye, the source told the outlet that Charles was “saddened” that he couldn’t share such an important moment with his youngest son.
King Charles III was “saddened” by Harry’s decision to leave the U.K. so abruptly. Hugo Burnand/Buckinham Palace via Getty Images
Harry also seemed keen to get home to wife Meghan Markle, who skipped out on the event to “protect her peace.”
Instead, she spent the next day hiking in Los Angeles, keeping her husband in her thoughts by wearing one of Princess Diana’s watches.
Despite only being in England for 28 hours, the Duke made the most of his stay, appearing “cheerful to the point of cocky” during his father’s crowning at Westminster Abbey.
Harry did not see or speak to his family outside the coronation ceremony. Getty Images
During his brief stay, the Duke of Sussex seemed to be in great spirits. Getty Images
“[It’s] almost as though none of the events of the past couple of years had ever happened,” body language expert Judi James told Page Six.
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Harry has been on thin ice with his father and brother Prince William since he quit his royal duties in 2020. He seemingly made things worse when he and Markle, 41, aired the family’s dirty laundry in his memoir, “Spare,” and Netflix series “Harry & Meghan.”
Tensions have been high ever since Harry released his bombshell memoir, “Spare.” AP
But, despite the drama — and getting snubbed with his seating arrangement — the 38-year-old found solace in his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice and their respective husbands, Jack Brooksbank and Edoardo Mozzi.
“Harry arrived laughing and joking, even performing a mime that suggested he was referring to Eugenie’s heavily-pregnant baby bump and making them all chuckle,” James said, noting that despite walking in alone he was not “lonely.”
“Harry greeted the clergy with warmth and adopted an upbeat, slightly rolling, wide-stride gait to suggest breezy cheerfulness.”
Source: Page Six
