The royal guest list for King Charles III's upcoming coronation will include Prince Harry.
The Duke of Sussex is set to attend his father's ceremony on May 6, while Meghan Markle will not make the trip overseas, a rep for the couple told E! News April 12. According to the statement, the Duchess of Sussex will be staying in California with kids Archie Harrison, 3, and Lilibet Diana, 22 months.
Buckingham Palace also confirmed Harry's attendance to the coronation, which falls on Archie's 4th birthday.
This update comes one month after a rep for the Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, confirmed that they'd received "email correspondence" from the king's office about the coronation.
At the time, the couple's spokesperson told the Associated Press, "An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time." However, they've now come to a decision that just Harry will join his family at the coronation at London's Westminster Abbey.
During the service, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles will be formally crowned alongside Queen Consort Camilla. "The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future," the Palace previously said, "while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."
On April 4, more details were announced about the royal ceremony, including the role Prince William and Kate Middleton's eldest son Prince George will play in the coronation.
The 9-year-old will serve as one of the eight Pages of Honour that will walk the procession and carry the robes inside Westminster Abbey. Joining George in this duty will be Camilla's grandchildren Freddy Parker Bowles, Gus Lopes and Louis Lopes, along with her great-nephew Arthur Elliot.
The royal family has also made sure that the late Queen Elizabeth II's spirit is felt during the coronation proceedings, even featuring the lily of the valley—a favorite flower of the monarch—on the invitations.
Charles previously honored his mother after her death in September. "Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years," he said in his first speech as sovereign. "May 'flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.'"
"Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen—my beloved Mother—was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example," he added. "Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today."
To learn more about Charles' reign, keep scrolling.
Prime Minister Liz Truss was the first to use the name King Charles III to refer to the new British monarch, saying his name in a televised speech outside her headquarters at 10 Downing Street in London on Sept. 8, hours after Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II's passing. She had assumed office just two days prior, and met the queen at her home at Balmoral Castle, Scotland in what marked the late monarch's final public appearance.
Several minutes after she gave her speech, a spokesperson for Clarence House, which represented Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, confirmed the new monarch will be known as King Charles III.
Charles, christened Charles Philip Arthur George by England's archbishop of Canterbury, could have chosen a royal name other than King Charles III, and for years, many people speculated he would choose to use one of his middle names. Because...
The monarch is Britain's first King Charles in more than 300 years. His two predecessors' reigns in the 17th century were marred by scandals.
King Charles I (ruled from 1625 to 1949) and King Charles II of England (1660-1685) were both criticized for dissolving their Parliaments. Charles Sr. remains the only British monarch to be tried and executed for treason, having been accused of instigating England's second civil war.
Upon his death, the monarchy was abolished and his son spent several years in exile. Charles II was appointed king when the monarchy was restored in 1660, after which he was dubbed "The Merry Monarch" for leading what many considered a hedonistic court and for allegedly fathering several children out of wedlock.
With Charles' reign comes a slight tweak to the British de facto national anthem. Its title and lyrics, last amended when Elizabeth ascended the throne, will change from "God Save the Queen" back to "God Save the King." All female pronouns will revert to male. The original song debuted in 1745 and its title and pronouns changed over the years with the changing of the monarchs.
Newly minted coins and printed cash in British currency are set to feature Charles' image, although current ones will remain in circulation until they are gradually replaced, Reuters reported.
"As the first monarch to feature on Bank of England banknotes, the Queen's iconic portraits are synonymous with some of the most important work we do," the Bank of England said in a statement. "Current banknotes featuring the image of Her Majesty The Queen will continue to be legal tender. A further announcement regarding existing Bank of England banknotes will be made once the period of mourning has been observed."
Since Charles II's reign, it has become traditional for the monarch to face in the opposite direction to their predecessor. Therefore, the new king's face on money is expected to now face left, Reuters said.
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Australia announced that its "$5 banknotes featuring the image of Her Majesty The Queen can continue to be used," adding, "They will not be withdrawn and are likely to remain in circulation for years to come."
Charles now takes his mother's place as head of the British Armed Forces, the judiciary and the civil service, and as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, CNN reported, adding that the king is also the Fount of Honour, which means all honors, such as knighthoods, will now be given in his name.
As heir to the throne, Charles was known as a staunch environmentalist and often voiced his concerns about climate change. But as king, his days of advocacy may come to an end. In a 2018 BBC interview, he acknowledged that the responsibilities of his then-current role as Prince of Wales was different from that as a monarch. Asked whether his public campaigning will continue, he said, "No, it won't. I'm not that stupid."
He expressed similar sentiment, less abrasively, in a pre-recorded, first public address as king on Sept. 9. "My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities," Charles said. "It will no longer be possible to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I cared so deeply, but I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others."