Why Archie and Lilibet won't be attending King Charles' coronation - and it's down to Princess Anne

Archie and Lilibet won't be attending the coronation of their grandfather, King Charles III, and it has been revealed that it's because of a precedent set by Princess Anne at her mother's coronation in 1953.

• King Charles' coronation is set to take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
• While many members of the Royal Family are expected to be in attendance, some family members will be left out of the ceremony. 
• In other royal news, Princess Anne's two-tone turquoise flared coat proves huge lapels are back in style

King Charles' coronation is set to take place in just a few months and it is expected that only some of the King's five grandchildren will be in attendance. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis’ roles at King Charles’ coronation have been revealed, but it is thought that Prince Harry's children will not be in attendance.

This is because Archie is just three years old and will turn four on the day of the coronation, similarly, Lilibet is one and will turn two just a month after the coronation in June 2023. 

Tradition from Queen Elizabeth II's coronation dictates that young royals should not be in attendance if they are toddlers and likely to struggle to sit still for the ceremony. For this reason, Princess Anne did not attend her mother's coronation in 1953.

In 1953, King Charles was four and a half and allowed to attend the coronation. However, Princess Anne, who was two at the time, was not allowed to attend this celebration. This could be a key indicator that suggests young royals should not be included in the ceremony if they are below a certain age.

As King Charles III was the next in the royal line of succession, perhaps it was more important for him to be at this coronation despite his young age. However, Archie is sixth in the royal line of succession and unlikely to ever be King, making his attendance less important than King Charles' was at his mother's coronation. 

It is even thought that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle may not make an appearance at this momentous occasion, despite reports that suggest King Charles wants Prince Harry at his coronation. 

It is thought that perhaps the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will stay in California in order to avoid the chaos and media storm that their appearance in the UK will cause. However, the pair did attend the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations back in the summer of 2022, and just managed to keep a low profile. This could be how the couple plans to celebrate the King's upcoming celebrations. 

It is also thought that given the fallout from Spare and the couple's Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan, the couple may want to avoid certain members of the family because of alleged arguments that have taken place.

Perhaps the couple may also prefer to celebrate their son's birthday and avoid the UK altogether. Until their attendance is confirmed, the press can only speculate about the family's attendance at the coronation.