Prince Harry Is Called Invited To King Charles III Coronation, But Hasn't Made A Decision To Attend Or Not

Prince Harry with Meghan Markle. (WIkimedia Commons/Mark Jones)

JAKARTA - Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have accepted invitations to the coronation of his father, King Charles III, but will not yet confirm publicly whether they will attend, a spokesman for the prince said on Sunday.

Preparations for the May event were overshadowed by the couple's damning revelations about the King, Harry's older brother, Prince William, and other royals in his recent memoir, a Netflix documentary, and a series of TV interviews.

His high-profile and scathing criticism of his family recently has led to speculation about whether Harry, who stepped down from royal duties in 2020, will be invited to the coronation and, if he does, whether he will attend.

"I can confirm that the Duke has recently received email correspondence from Their Royal Highnesses' office regarding the coronation," Harry's spokesman said.

"We can't make a decision as to whether the Duke and Duchess will attend at this time," he continued.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has not responded to a request for comment on this matter.

Westminster Abbey, where the coronation will take place, has a capacity for around 2,200 guests. Many public figures, politicians, and international dignitaries are expected to attend, as well as the King's family and friends.

The official printed invitations are expected to be sent out soon, but it is believed that several groups of guests are being approached ahead of time, telling them to save the date.

The focus has been on whether Prince Harry and Meghan will come to the coronation, regarding revelations in his memoir about tensions with his family.

This included an altercation with his brother Prince William, who as Prince of Wales is likely to play a part in the coronation ceremony.

In previous interviews about his memoir, Prince Harry declined to say whether he would attend his father's coronation, saying: "The door is always open. The ball is in the palace."

If Prince Harry returns for the coronation, it is unknown what role he will play, as he is no longer a "royal official".

During the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, Prince Harry and Meghan were not part of the royal family in attendance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. This traditional appearance for the crowd will also be part of the coronation celebrations.

In an online interview on Saturday, Prince Harry said he always "felt a little different" to the rest of his family, and his late mother, Diana, felt the same way.