The “battling brothers” will allegedly keep their distance while putting on a united front for their father.
On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry will attend King Charles’ coronation, ending months of speculation about whether the Duke of Sussex would be welcomed following the publication of his explosive memoir “Spare.”
His wife, Meghan Markle, will remain at the couple’s home in California with their two young children, the palace said. The May 6 date of the coronation coincides with their son Prince Archie’s birthday.
Prince Harry and Prince William will keep their distance during King Charles’ coronation, several royal experts claimed. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Sources allegedly revealed to The Express that the 38-year-old, who made his exit in 2020, will be seated several rows behind the senior royals. The move is intentional, they claimed, ensuring that he and his brother Prince William, will have zero chance of being next to each other.
“There is no doubt that relations between William and Harry are at an all-time low,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “They reportedly are not communicating and are unlikely to be seated near each other at Westminster Abbey. If Harry does, as is apparently intended, depart almost immediately for California after the ceremony, it is highly unlikely that any meaningful interactions with any members of the royal family will occur. They know they can’t trust him, and he is well aware as to why!”
This will be the first time that Harry and William, who is heir to the throne, will be reunited following the publication of the younger sibling’s explosive memoir “Spare.” The bombshell book is dominated by his rivalry with his elder brother and the death of their mother, Princess Diana. Harry made several shocking claims, including that William attacked him during a fierce argument. William’s office, as well as Buckingham Palace, never commented on the book’s claims.
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Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” was published on Jan. 10. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
“I do not anticipate warm interactions between Harry and William,” Kinsey Schofield, the host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News Digital. “We know that palace staff is planning every entry, exit, and seat with the battling brothers in mind. The palace’s ultimate objective is to avoid conflict.”
“William, without a doubt, was the most hurt by Harry’s actions,” she explained. “The two have not spoken since the queen’s funeral. And certainly not since the Netflix series or book. And despite Harry telling media outlets that he would only attend the coronation if his family received an apology… my sources say that no such apology has happened in private.”
“Both William and [his wife] Catherine will tolerate Harry’s presence because, despite the bad blood and betrayal, there is a deep love for him in both of them,” Schofield continued. “The same could not be said for Meghan. I think William and Catherine would have had a much harder time navigating Meghan’s presence.”
Meghan Markle won’t attend King Charles’ coronation. Instead, the Duchess of Sussex will be in California with her son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Harry and his wife, who is biracial, have alleged she faced racist attitudes from both the palace and the U.K. press. The treatment contributed to their decision to step back as senior royals and move to North America. Most recently in December, the couple aired their grievances in a six-part Netflix docuseries.
The revelations in “Spare,” including details of private conversations with his father and brother, further fanned tensions between Harry and his family. The book, published in January of this year, included allegations that members of the royal family regularly feed the press unflattering information about other members in exchange for positive press.
The prince singled out his father’s beloved wife Camilla, accusing her of leaking private conversations to the media as she sought to rehabilitate her image. The 75-year-old was once reviled for her long-term affair with Charles, 74, which contributed to the breakdown of his marriage to the late Princess Diana.
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In “Spare,” Prince Harry singled out his stepmother Camilla, who will be crowned alongside King Charles. (Victoria Jones – Pool/Getty Images)
The acrimony between Harry and his family once again spilled into public view last month when the Sussexes said they had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their home in Britain. The Sun newspaper reported that Charles started the eviction process on Jan. 11, the day after “Spare” was published.
“It is my understanding that the brothers are currently not on speaking terms and Prince William is adamant that it stays that way to protect himself and his family,” said Schofield. “I don’t think we will ever see Prince William fully embrace his brother again. Harry’s actions have been very hurtful… and while I would never be so bold or cruel to predict the breakdown of a marriage… I would state that the only way I could see Harry being welcomed back into the fold is solo.”
Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital that it would take more than a coronation for the brothers to make peace.
According to royal experts, Prince Harry and Prince William haven’t spoken since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“It seems pretty obvious that using the coronation as an opportunity to make amends is out the window,” he explained. “I’m certain that at this point William is fairly indifferent toward what his brother does. The mere fact that Harry is at least showing up at the coronation should count for something. On the other hand, I’m sure William and Kate think it’s the very least the Sussexes can do.”
Andersen noted that since Harry isn’t a working member of the royal family, there’s no need for him to be seated closer to his brother.
“The palace has been very rigid about enforcing this working royals rule that the late Queen Elizabeth II put in place,” said Andersen. “Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals and therefore not accorded the same ‘pride of place’ positions in the royal lineup they once were. With William planning to keep his distance from Harry and Harry planning to run back to Montecito as soon as the coronation ceremony is over, it just seems that each side has written the other off – at least for the moment.”
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King Charles is said to be pleased that both his sons will be present for the coronation. (Paul Ellis/Pool/AFP)
“As I’ve said from the beginning, Charles is far too busy worrying not only about the myriad details of the coronation itself but also about making the experience as pleasant as possible for Camilla,” Andersen added.
In a televised interview, Harry told Anderson Cooper that he never intended to hurt his family with his revelations.
“You know, my brother and I love each other,” said Harry. “I love him deeply. There has been a lot of pain between the two of us, especially the last six years. None of anything I’ve written, anything that I’ve included, is ever intended to hurt my family.”
Prince Harry told ITV’s Tom Bradby that he tried reaching out to his family. (ITV)
Harry also told ITV’s Tom Bradby that if his family was willing to have a frank discussion, then maybe he wouldn’t have felt the need to write a memoir.
“It never needed to get to this point,” said Harry. “I’ve had conversations, I’ve written letters, I’ve written emails, and everything.”
Charles will be crowned on May 6.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.