Prince Harry's decision to attend the coronation is down to this one 'regret'

The Duke of Sussex will return to the UK to support King Charles

Prince Harry
(Image credit: Samir Hussein / Getty)

With King Charles' coronation just weeks away, many royal fans were wondering if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be attending the historic event on May 6th. 

The event falls on their son Archie's 4th birthday, but it was unclear whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would travel to the UK for the coronation given their fractured relationships with members of the family. 

In their Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan the couple opened up about their time in the monarchy, and in his memoir Spare Harry detailed fall outs with his father and his brother, Prince William

Although the couple confirmed that they had received an invitation, it was just this week that the Palace announced that Harry would be attending the coronation and that Meghan would remain in the US with their two children. 

Experts and insiders had claimed that if they were to attend they would expect a 'cold shoulder' from other members of the family, but that the King and the Prince of Wales were 'working in tandem' to ensure that Harry was present. 

In an interview with Tom Bradby which aired on ITV earlier this year, he explained that he would be willing to attend if they could all 'sit down and talk about it'. 

Harry said: "There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it."

According to The Telegraph, Harry decided to accept the invitation due to fears that he would 'regret' not being there to support his father.

The publication writes that 'royal sources said his decision had pleased the King, who was keen to have the support of both his sons at the ceremony' but that Harry will only be present for the coronation and won't be attending additional events. 

It also claims that he 'spent several weeks agonising over' the decision, but 'he is acutely aware that the historic occasion will be immensely important' for the King. 

One source said: "It is about showing up, showing support and being there for his father. 

"It was a very personal decision, not a PR one."

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.