Why Isn't Prince Harry on the Balcony After Charles' Coronation?

Prince Harry at Coronation — (Image credit: Getty)

After much speculation, Prince Harry did not join his family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following King Charles' coronation. The monarch and the royal family traditionally greet the nation on the balcony of the palace after major state events, but for the Coronation, Harry was left out. Instead, King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by working members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, among others.

In an effort for a "slimmed-down monarchy," King Charles reportedly only invited working members of the royal family to join him on the palace balcony. This excludes Prince Harry, who famously stepped back from his royal duties in 2020. Prince Andrew was also not included in the balcony appearance after he was embroiled in a sex abuse scandal in 2022 and stripped of his titles.

Before the coronation, many reports said Harry would leave the coronation just two hours after the ceremony wraps. Since he's markedly absent from the balcony appearance, Harry is likely already making his way back home to Montecito, California to celebrate his son Archie's fourth birthday. While Harry attended the coronation, Meghan Markle stayed behind in California with Archie and their daughter Lilibet.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla can be seen on the Buckingham Palace balcony ahead of the flypast during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II.

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Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.