Prince Harry won’t join his family members on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after King Charles III’s coronation Saturday because he is no longer a working royal.
After much speculation, the palace confirmed on April 12 that the Duke of Sussex would attend his father’s crowning ceremony — without his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 1.
However, Harry, 38, was not allowed to have an official role in the coronation because he became a lowly commoner when he and the Duchess of Sussex, 41, notoriously shocked the world by giving up their royal responsibilities.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the couple, who married in 2018, said in a joint statement in 2020.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support [Queen Elizabeth II].”
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Harry and Markle continued, “It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages.”
The Sussexes also shared that they were going to launch a new charitable entity — later revealed to be their Archewell foundation — and planned to continue to “collaborate” with the Queen, who died in 2022, as well as Charles and Harry’s brother, Prince William.
“Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support,” they concluded.
Harry and Markle then moved across the pond, ultimately settling in a sprawling $14 million mansion in Montecito, Calif.
By 2021, the pair officially resigned from all their royal duties.
“Following conversations with [Harry], the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time, adding that the Sussexes’ honorary military appointments and royal patronages would be returned to the then-monarch to be redistributed.
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“While all are saddened by their decision, the duke and duchess remain much loved members of the family,” the statement concluded.
Markle and Harry responded with their own statement, saying they would “remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role.”
They added, “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
A month later, the duo gave a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they dragged the royal family. They have since continued to go after the monarchy in their 2022 Netflix docuseries and Harry’s bombshell memoir, “Spare,” which was released in January.
While Harry and Markle chose to distance themselves from royal life, they gave their kids prince and princess titles in March.
The Sussexes were notably absent from the balcony during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 for the same reason Harry will not be present during Charles’ post-coronation appearance.
However, William, 40, his wife, Kate Middleton, and their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, are expected to wave down at their subjects from the balcony along other working royal members of the family.
Charles, 74, and his wife Queen Camilla, 75, will be coronated at Westminster Abbey in London.