The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for royal watchers around the world. While the British royal family quietly celebrated the holidays, the media has been hard at work broadcasting every leaked detail from Prince Harry’s memoir Spare. Given the circus, it’s no wonder new reports are saying Harry will not have a role in King Charles’ upcoming coronation. However, the historic move may be killing two birds with one stone.
Prince Harry ‘Written Out’ Of Coronation
Per the Sunday Times, Prince Harry no longer has a role in King Charles’ coronation. According to the publication’s inside source, the Duke of Sussex has been “written out” of the event. In past coronations, royal dukes have served as “liege men.” To pay homage to the monarch, the dukes were also required to kneel before them, touch the crown, and kiss them on the right cheek.
Given the increasingly palpable tension between Harry and The Firm, it was previously unclear if Harry would have a role in the historic event. Now, per this new report, it seems like Charles and his team have reached a verdict. Apparently, Prince William will be the only liege man to pay homage to Charles during the coronation.
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Of course, this means that Harry wasn’t the only exclusion. Queen Elizabeth’s cousins, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, have apparently been cut from the ceremony as well. Not to mention, this order excuses Prince Andrew from any role he would otherwise have in his brother’s coronation.
In fact, while many royalists are concluding that this decision was directed at Harry, we’re guessing it had just as much if not more to do with Andrew. Given his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and subsequent legal troubles, the Duke of York has become one of the most controversial royals in recent memory. We wouldn’t be surprised if the king didn’t want his brother’s presence to complicate the momentous occasion.
An Unsurprising Development
To those who’ve been paying attention, this development was honestly expected. Experts have long speculated that King Charles planned to slim down the monarchy. The king failed to issue multiple expected titles upon his ascension, instead only bestowing the Prince and Princess of Wales titles to Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Per the Daily Mail, the coronation ceremony is expected to last only one hour. For reference, Queen Elizabeth’s lasted about three. Then, Charles petitioned Parliament to appoint his siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, as Counsellors of State in lieu of Harry and Andrew.
If the Sunday Times‘ source is reliable and King Charles truly has dismissed the royal dukes from acting as his liege men, then he’ll be one step closer to achieving the minimalist monarchy royalists have been predicting for years. King Charles’ coronation is scheduled for May 6, 2023.
