After King Charles was formally crowned at his coronation on May 6, he was joined by Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to conclude the ceremony. The family gathered to wave to onlookers, but there was one familiar face missing from the moment: Prince Harry. Although Harry attended the actual coronation ceremony, he did not stick around to celebrate and left London less than an hour after the King’s coronation, according to Page Six. And in a video, seen here and here, Harry reportedly waited about 10 minutes outside Westminster Abbey before getting in the back seat of a sedan and driving away.
Harry’s oldest son, Archie, turned four years old on the same day as Charles’ coronation, so Harry rushed home to be with his own family for the occasion. He spent less than 24 hours across the pond, arriving in the UK on the evening of May 5, just in time for the coronation. Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, did not attend the coronation, as she stayed home for Archie’s birthday. Harry has had a strained relationship with the royal family since he stepped down from his role as a royal in Jan. 2020 and moved to America with Meghan. He has since shared his experiences in a memoir, Spare, and Netflix documentary.
A moment nobody on the Buckingham Palace balcony will ever forget.#Coronation
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) May 6, 2023
Ahead of the coronation, royal reporter, Omid Scobie, predicted that Harry would not stay long. “We saw him arrive on Friday evening, getting ready, of course, for the big day to support his father at the coronation ceremony, but he also has duties back in Montecito, California,” Omid explained to ABC News. “Sources close to the Duke say it’s going to be an in and out trip for him. He’s just here to be part of that moment at Westminster Abbey, support his father, and then be back at home to support his own family in Montecito.”
The coronation was a two hour long ceremony, where Charles formally accepted his role as King. When Queen Elizabeth II died in Sept. 2022, King Charles immediately took over as the head monarch, but the coronation was a religious ceremony that formalized his crowning. His wife, Queen Camilla, officially took the title of Queen at the coronation, despite previously being named Queen Consort.
After the two were crowned, they proceeded from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace in their carriage, where the celebration continued. Several of their family members followed in the procession, as well. The entire royal family turned out for King Charles’ big day, along with celebrities like Katy Perry and more, who were all in attendance to view the coronation.
The Coronation Service of Their Majesties The King Charles III and The Queen Consort was attended by a congregation of more than 2,200 guests, including Members of the Royal Family, international representatives from over 200 countries, and approximately 100 Heads of State. The hand painted invitation, which was shared via the Royal’s Instagram, was sent to all guests. Notably absent among the guests were US President Joe Biden, though his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, attended, and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who stayed in America with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In the official announcement for the King’s coronation made back in October 2022, Buckingham Palace promised that the coronation would “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” The Archbishop of Canterbury performed the official crowning of Charles with St Edward’s Crown and the crowning of Camila with Queen Mary’s Crown at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.
