London: Britain's Prince Harry will go to his father King Charles' coronation next month without his wife Meghan, the couple announced on Wednesday, putting an end to months of rumours about their plans.
In a ceremony that has been going on for a thousand years, Charles will be crowned in the presence of dignitaries and foreign heads of state. However, his youngest son's participation had been in doubt following the 38-year-old's harsh criticism of his family in a book and documentary series.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, will attend the May 6 event, according to Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for the couple. Meghan will stay in California with the couple's two young children.
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On the same day, their oldest child, Archie, turns four. "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey," a palace representative said. "Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will stay in California with the Duchess of Sussex."
Harry and Meghan left their royal responsibilities in 2020 and relocated to California, claiming they wanted to start over and lead independent lives free from the British media's scrutiny.
They made an agreement with the royal family that they would not participate in any upcoming official royal events or tours, and they have only made a few appearances in Britain since they left, including for Queen Elizabeth's funeral after a 70-year reign.
Following their departure, tensions quickly arose, and recently Harry published a memoir that revealed personal details about the British royal family. The couple also made an appearance in a Netflix documentary series.
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They made a number of accusations, one of which was that some royals, including stepmother Camilla and the heir to the throne William, had leaked information to tabloid publications in an effort to protect or boost their reputations.
They claimed that the royal family had compared Meghan's treatment to the intense media intrusion that his mother Princess Diana had endured prior to her passing and had dismissed the press's pursuit of Meghan because of her race as a rite of passage.
Before deciding to go to the coronation, which will be observed in Britain with a public holiday, Harry reportedly demanded an apology from his family.
In response to the question of whether he would attend in a January interview, Harry said: "A lot can happen between now and then. Yet the entrance is always accessible.
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One of the most well-liked royals before he left the country, Harry, had been invited, according to Buckingham Palace, which had made that clear.
When Harry was most recently in the country, it was to attend a court hearing in which he and other prominent individuals were suing the Daily Mail newspaper's publisher for allegedly tapping their phones and violating their privacy.