Prince Harry and Meghan Markel
Guwahati, Apr 13: Ending months of speculation about whether the prince would be welcomed at the royal family, the Buckingham Palace on Wednesday confirmed that Prince Harry will attend his father's coronation.
Meanwhile, his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will remain at the couple’s home in Southern California with their young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the palace said.
The coronation of King Charles III will be held on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. Charles, 74, immediately became king when Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 last September after a record-breaking reign of 70 years.
The early May coronation weekend will feature a star-studded concert, nationwide “big lunch” and volunteering initiatives, as well as the traditional ceremony and royal processions.
The three days of events will begin with Charles's formal crowning at London's Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, in a tradition dating back more than 900 years. May 7 will see a televised music concert staged at Windsor Castle, west of London, featuring "global music icons and contemporary stars", according to Buckingham Palace.
However, the lineup is still to be confirmed. Kylie Minogue and Lionel Richie are reportedly set to perform, but other big names such as Adele and Elton John have cited diary clashes.
Also on May 7, neighbours and communities will be invited to host thousands of "coronation big lunches", billed as a "nationwide act of celebration and friendship".
The final part of coronation weekend, dubbed "the big help out", will be held on Monday, May 8 -- designated a UK public holiday this year.
This time, the palace has confirmed it will be inviting a mere 2,000 guests, while the service is set to last around an hour. It released an image of the official invitation, which is set to go out in the coming days.