According to leaked rehearsal plans, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will not have official seats at King Charles’s coronation. Sussex supporters were quick to call this a snub, considering that the coronation coincides with the Sussex' eldest son’s birthday.

Considering that all three of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children will have lead roles in the procession and even Queen Consort Camilla’s family is set to participate, some see this move as unfair.

Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been formally invited, their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have not. They have yet to confirm their attendance. 

It is, however, reported that should they choose to come, the royal staff are planning to have them partake in some part of the celebrations, just not in an official capacity.

What to Expect

King Charles took on his new title on September 8th, 2020, following his mother’s death. Charles will be 74 at the time, making him the oldest new monarch to be crowned.

The coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6th, starting with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where King Charles III will be crowned. This will then be followed by another procession back to Buckingham Palace where the blended family will make an appearance on the balcony.

“The Service will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” Buckingham Palace announced.

The next two days will include a series of celebrations with a coronation concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday and a bank holiday on Monday. Locally organized events, such as live music, art festivals, and community workshops, will also take place throughout the UK. Pubs will be permitted to stay open longer than usual.

Who Will Be There and Who Won’t?

The Sussexes are not the only ones who won’t be participating in the coronation. The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, along with his daughters Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, will also not take part. Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, meanwhile, has yet to receive an invitation.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, however, along with their three children, will take a leading role in the event and follow King Charles and Queen Camilla in the procession.

Other members of the royal family set to participate include the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

As predicted by insiders, only “working royals” will have serious roles in the coronation.

In addition, the official guest list is said to be cut to only 2000 people, a quarter of the attendees that were present at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Fair and Square

Considering that the Sussexes “quit” their royal duties back in 2020 and have launched what some describe as a “smear campaign” against the royal family, many see their coronation snub as fair. Others, however, point out that scheduling the coronation on Prince Archie’s birthday was a deliberate attack on Harry and Meghan.

Prince Archie will be turning 4 on the day.

Royal specialists deem the decision fair, citing that both Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 1, are too young to take part. Prince Louis of Wales, for example, did not participate in the late Queen’s funeral for the same reason.

Others also argue that the Sussexes shouldn’t have been invited in the first place after they have repeatedly accused the royal family of various misdeeds.

According to insiders, however, the Sussexes are not happy about the circumstances and are negotiating more recognition during the event.

No statement has been made by the Sussex family regarding their attendance and the Buckingham Palace has yet to issue any comment on the matter.