Just hours after seeing Charles being crowned, Prince Harry will miss the King’s Coronation concert in order to return to the US. The historic wedding on May 6 will be followed by a weekend of festivities, the Duke of Sussex has informed his father.
Now that Katy Perry, Take That, and Lionel Richie will be performing at the musical spectacle, organizers won’t need to secure a spot for Harry. According to insiders, he will travel to California to be with his family and celebrate his son Archie’s fourth birthday after the concert at Windsor Castle on May 7.
Prince Harry, 38, finally said this week that he will go to his father’s coronation after he had been hesitating for weeks. However, his 41-year-old wife Meghan is remaining at home with their two young children, Princess Lilibet, who will be two in June, and Prince Archie, whose birthday falls on the same day as the Coronation.
When Harry meets the King, Queen Consort, Prince, and Princess of Wales for the first time after his scathing Netflix series and incendiary book Spare, he will be alone himself.
The Duke has no intention of stopping by any of the organizations to which he is committed during his short visit, according to sources close to him. Harry, though, has informed family members that he intends to go back to the UK this summer.
After much back and forth, a royal insider revealed: “Harry stated he will be coming for the King’s Coronation, but it would only be a brief visit. Harry won’t be joining the rest of the Royal Family for the concert, which is a pity since it will be a wonderful occasion, according to organizers.
Harry’s lack of 24-hour security from armed cops is said to have been a significant contributing factor in his early departure. The Duke and the Home Office are engaged in an ongoing High Court dispute on a decision to revoke his UK security after his departure from The Firm in 2020.
Harry made a plea for his family’s forgiveness and said “The ball is in their court” during a press blitz to promote his explosive biography in January. However, royal insiders said that despite the King’s good relations with his youngest son before the visit, other family members would undoubtedly be “less forgiving”.
The performance, which will honor the four home countries as well as the Commonwealth, will, in the words of the BBC, commemorate a new chapter in the history of the UK and include “themes of love, respect, and optimism.”