King Charles III’s coronation is less than 100 days away, and he reportedly wants Prince Harry to attend.
Though the royal family has not issued a statement in response to the publication of Harry’s explosive memoir Spare, a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story that the new British monarch wants his younger son to attend the May 6 ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
“It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family,” the source says. “If they don’t sort it out, it will always be part of the King’s reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue.”
According to royal historian Robert Lacey, “Aside from [Charles’] paternal desire to reunite with his son, one of the royal family’s responsibilities is to demonstrate how to deal with the problems we all face in a human and thoughtful manner. What will make the family successful in the future is not necessarily reconciliation, but mutual acceptance of different ideas and priorities.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton, like King Charles and Queen Camilla, have remained silent on Spare.
“It is almost insulting to ask, ‘When are they going to kiss and make up?’ ” Lacey says of the strain that separates Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from some other members of the royal family.
“There have been some very grave disagreements between them. But the Platinum Jubilee [in June 2022] and the funerals of the Queen and Prince Philip did demonstrate that they could put personal enmity aside for the sake of the bigger cause,” he points out. “And that is what the coronation will be all about.”
According to a palace insider, Harry and Meghan will be invited to the coronation; however, a source close to the Sussexes says that no invitation has been extended, and no progress toward reconciliation has been made.
According to the source, Prince Harry’s initial stance on the matter has not changed. When asked if he would attend the coronation, he told ITV’s Tom Bradby last month, “Between now and then, a lot of things can happen. However, the door is always open. They now have the ball in their court. There’s a lot to talk about, and I really hope they’re willing to sit down and discuss it.”
There is still a long way to go as things currently stand. “The problem is that [the Sussexes] want the palace to capitulate and apologize, but that’s difficult when’recollections vary,'” says a close source.
Fraught family relationships are a major concern, but the royal family’s ultimate priority is the monarchy’s future — and the pressure is on to modernize in the face of rising anti-royal sentiment.
“The monarchy is bigger than a family argument,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith says, whether or not the Sussexes attend the coronation ceremony.