Prince Harry and Prince Andrew arrive at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles – Coronation of King Charles video
King’s younger son sits two rows behind his brother Prince William and family at Westminster Abbey
The Duke of Sussex attended his father’s coronation alone after his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and young children chose not to attend and stayed home in California.
The King’s younger son, who retired as a working royal in 2020 and later moved to the US, had not been seen publicly with the royals since the release of his memoir Spare earlier this year, in which he was highly critical of his father , his stepmother, Queen Camilla, and his brother, the Prince of Wales.
Relations between the family members are said to remain extremely frosty and there has been some speculation as to whether Prince Harry would even attend the coronation. According to sources, the fact that the coronation fell on his son Archie’s fourth birthday played a role in the Duchess’ decision to stay away.
The prince, who flew to Britain on Friday, walked into Westminster Abbey alone wearing medals pinned to his dark morning suit. He sat two rows behind his brother and right between Jack Brooksbank, husband of the Duke of York’s daughter Princess Eugenie, and 86-year-old Princess Alexandra, a first cousin of Elizabeth II.
Those seated in the front row included Princess Anne, her husband V Adm Timothy Laurence and the Duke of Kent.
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The front row was reserved for the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie.
At the Queen’s funeral last September, Harry sat in Westminster Abbey in the second row, just behind Charles.
As the congregation paid homage to the king during the service, Harry was seen joining the other royals around him in saying the words: “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the king live forever.”
Harry played no part in the procession back to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony and did not appear on the balcony to greet the crowd and witness a Red Arrows flyby. His absence was particularly noticeable given the presence of all the other working royals on the balcony, including the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Instead, the prince’s car was seen driving from London towards Heathrow Airport, it has been reported.
Though no longer a working king, Harry remains fifth in line to the throne behind the Prince of Wales and his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Harry and Meghan’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are sixth and seventh in line.
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