Prince Harry branded a ‘loose cannon’ by royal family after his short UK visit for Coronation left them ‘deeply upset’

“Everybody knew he was intending to get home, but there was a hope”

Prince Harry
(Image credit: Andy Stenning - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A royal expert has claimed that the Royal Family believe Prince Harry to be a ‘loose cannon’ after they were left 'deeply upset' by his short visit to the UK for King Charles III's Coronation last month.


Prince Harry's attendance at the King's Coronation last month was bittersweet. Not only did he attend the celebration alone, with his wife Meghan Markle and two young children Archie and Lilbet staying at home in LA, but the Prince also experienced some 'moments of sadness' as 'he was on the outside looking on' at his family members who were more involved in the ceremony. 

The visit was a short one. It had been predicted by many royal experts that the Prince would only touch down on UK soil for a short time, but it now appears that though the Royal Family believed this too, they were still 'hopeful' they could see more of the Prince during his stay. 

While Prince Harry reportedly had ‘conversation’ with King Charles the night before the Coronation and he also shared a surprising exchange with Princess Anne despite her being ‘absolutely furious’ with him for upsetting the late Queen, one royal expert has now claimed that the Prince's family were left 'deeply upset' by Harry's lacking visit and wished they could have talked to Harry, who they have now reportedly branded a 'loose cannon,' more over the course of his visit.

Prince Harry

(Image credit: Richard Pohle - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Speaking on Channel 5 latest royal documentary Harry & Meghan: Is America Turning Against Them? about Prince Harry's flying visit, royal expert Richard Kay shared that the short trip was an 'unwise' decision that made Prince Harry seem even further removed from the Royal Family than before. 

He explained, "That was unwise [the short visit]. It looked petulant. [It inferred] ‘I’m only here because I got to be here, because I’m the King’s son, but I can’t wait to be away'." 

According to royal correspondent Tom Quinn, Harry's supposed desperation to get back to America was upsetting for the Royal Family who had held out hope that he would spend some time with them after their long seperation. 

Speaking about the impact his short visit had on the family dynamic, royal correspondent Tom Quinn said, "The royal family will be deeply upset by the fact they have this loose cannon, someone William was [once] close to.”

The Royal Family

(Image credit: Neil Mockford/GC Images)

For all the allegations, rifts and upsets reportedly going on between Harry and the Royal Family, they are still relatives and wish to somehow reconcile their differences. The Coronation, according to Nick Bullen, editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV, was seen as being the perfect olive branch to bring the estranged Prince back into the family, but Harry's short visit, lasting only 28 hours, dashed any hope they once held. 

“My understanding is he [Harry] didn’t have any interactions with the Prince or Princess of Wales, but that he did have a conversation with his father the night before,” he told Us Weekly

“Until the morning, nobody really knew what Harry’s plans were going to be for that afternoon. I think everybody knew he had a plane to catch. Everybody knew he was intending to get home, but there was a hope, I think, that he might be part of some of the family celebrations back at the Palace. So I think that there was a sadness that he wasn’t part of the fuller day but, you know, they all knew he was going to get [on] that plane.”

The editor-in-chief, despite claims by King Charles III's royal butler that it’s ‘very possible’ that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will move back to the UK, believes the Coronation proved that there is 'no reason' for Harry 'to come back to London anytime soon.'

He told Us Weekly, "There seems to be no reason for him to come back to London anytime soon. Meghan certainly is showing no interest in coming back. But I think what’s interesting is it’s possibly the beginning of the end of the Sussex interaction with the royal family.”

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse
Freelance news writer

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a freelance royal news, entertainment and fashion writer. She began her journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with Good To, BBC Good Food, The Independent, The Big Issue and The Metro.