Prince William and Prince Harry Will Be Separated at the Coronation to Avoid a Disaster
Prince Harry has RSVP’d that he will attend King Charles III’s coronation on May 6. However, his wife Meghan Markle will not be at the affair as Buckingham Palace confirmed that “The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
Now, it’s being reported that organizers are finalizing the seating arrangements and making sure that Harry and his brother, Prince William, will be separated to avoid a potential disaster. Here’s where Harry will likely be seated and what the Prince of Wales will do at the ceremony that Harry won’t have to.
Prince William and Prince Harry won’t be seated anywhere near each other
We know now that William and Harry were at odds even before the Sussexes stepped down. But things have gotten worse in recent months given all the claims Harry made about his sibling in his memoir Spare and Netflix docuseries. As a source told The Daily Beast William “feels utterly betrayed … he hates him for what he has done to the family in the books and interviews … it’s no secret he would prefer it if Harry never stepped foot in England again.”
With that in mind, organizers will see to it that the princes aren’t seated anywhere near each other at the ceremony.
Express reported: “Harry’s arrival at Westminster Abbey will be meticulously crafted down to the exact minute to avoid any form of confrontation with members of the royal family who will never forgive him for what he has done. The Prince of Wales is at the front of the list, with his fury at his younger brother being one of the worst-kept royal secrets.
“Harry will be seated several rows behind the senior royals and at a position to ensure that there can be no direct shot of William and Harry together — meaning any potential sideways glances or furious stares are not broadcast on the world stage.”
This was also the case during the queen’s Platinum Jubilee service
It’s believed that the Duke of Sussex will be seated in a row with other non-working royals like Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
Royal watchers may recall a setup just like that at the the service of thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth II during the late monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. Harry was seated on the opposite side of the church from William and wedged in the middle of the second row.
According to royal biographer Tom Bower, the duke wasn’t thrilled with the seats and ultimately decided that he and his wife should at least sit closest to the aisle and asked Beatrice to move down. The usher, however, told Harry that would not be possible, and when the prince demanded to know who gave that order the usher responded: “Your grandmother.”
Prince William will pledge something to his father that Harry won’t have to
As heir to the throne, Prince William will reportedly pay homage to his father during the ceremony.
According to Royal Central, the future king is expected to kneel in front of Charles and say: “I, William, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of folks. So help me God.”
It was previously required that all royal dukes pledge allegiance to the king. For example, The Duke of Kent knelt before his cousin Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 as did her husband Prince Philip. However, the Palace chose to scrap those plans so that Prince Andrew and Prince Harry won’t have a formal role in the coronation.
