The coronation of King Charles III will be the biggest day of his life and both his sons will be there for him but in very different ways.
While William, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, will be part of the processions to and from Westminster Abbey, and stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the other working royals, his younger brother Prince Harry will be alongside other outer members of the family.
And while William has an official role in which, alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury (the most senior churchman in the country) he will kneel and pledge allegiance to Charles as king by touching St Edward’s Crown and kissing his father on the right cheek, Harry will only watch.
once upon a time, all the royal princes and then representatives from all the dukes and lords in the land would have similarly pledged allegiance.
When Queen Elizabeth was crowned, the first person to swear allegiance was Prince Philip, whose moving words became a symbol of their marriage.
“I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God,” he said.
It is still not known if Prince William will use the same form of words or if he will simply touch the crown and kiss his father.
He will be the first prince of Wales to have a formal role in a coronation since that of King George V in 1911, when the future Edward VIII – the king who abdicated to marry Wallace Simpson – knelt in front of his father.
There was no prince of Wales at King George VI’s coronation in 1937, and in 1953 Prince Charles had not been invested with the title and in any case was only 4.
But this ceremony is markedly slimmed down compared to past ones – meaning there will be no place for Prince Harry who has very publicly turned his back on his family.
‘I give credit to Harry that he understood this is the most important day in his father’s life,’ says royal historian Marlene Koenig.
‘While he became King as soon as Queen Elizabeth II died, the actual coronation, the service, affirming his oath and being crowned; there is nothing more important and Harry understands this, despite what other tensions they have.’
There were tense negotiation with Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan over their attendance with the king hopeful that his still much-loved younger son would be there despite the very public estrangement within the family.
In his book and television interviews Harry not only attacked Queen Camilla as ‘dangerous’ but also painted Kate, who he once described as ‘the sister he’d never had and always wanted’ as cold and uncaring.
The Princess of Wales will not have a formal role in the ceremony. She will be sitting with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the front of Westminster Abbey, while her eldest son Prince George will be a scarlet-clad, sword-bearing Page of Honour to his grandfather.
The Wales family’s very prominent part and placing in the ceremony will be a palpable demonstration of the split between the brothers and their wives.
William, the Prince of Wales, is said to still be so upset with Harry that they two have not talked since their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
After much debate Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will remain in Los Angeles with the couple’s two children who would have been too young to attend the coronation.
‘Prince Harry made it very clear that he wanted an apology before attending the coronation so there have been, we can hope, certain steps towards peace,’ says royal commentator Josh Rom.
‘The King also put a photograph of Harry and Meghan in his souvenir brochure, making it clear that he still loves his son and hopes for a reconciliation.’
There are rumors that Prince Harry will have some private time with his father before the coronation but his trip back to England is likely to be a flying visit as it coincides with the 4th birthday of his son Archie.
It is not yet known whether Harry will attend the VIP reception on the Friday night before the big day at Buckingham Palace. He has apparently been very keen to ensure he sits in an important spot at the Abbey, as the son of the sovereign.
He will then head straight to the airport and may even by up in the air by the time the royal family emerge on the Buckingham Palace balcony with all the other working royals to wave to a crowd which may number one million people.
It is likely to be a bittersweet moment for all – a reminder of what could have been. ‘Harry and Meghan may wish they could have appeared on the balcony with the newly crowned King and Queen, especially as this iconic moment will be remembered for decades,’ says royal commentator Jonathan Sacerdoti.
‘Their currency as celebrities rather depends on connection to British royalty.’
