Prince Harry had ‘conversation’ with King Charles the night before the coronation but ‘hope’ was dashed

Prince Harry is said to have spoken privately with King Charles the evening before the big day when the monarch gave a special toast

It's claimed Prince Harry had a "conversation" with King Charles pre-coronation. Seen here side-by-side on different occasions
(Image credit: Future// Image 1: Photo by Dan Charity - WPA Pool/Getty Images // Image 2:Photo by Joe Giddens - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry reportedly had a “conversation” with King Charles the night before the coronation but one particular “hope” was dashed. 


After months of speculation over whether he’d be attending King Charles’ coronation, Prince Harry returned to the UK solo whilst Meghan Markle remained at their Santa Barbara home with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Fans only got a brief glimpse of the Duke of Sussex at Westminster Abbey during his brief visit and as he isn't a working royal, he didn’t appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the service. However, for those wondering if King Charles and Prince Harry spoke before the coronation ceremony, apparently they did. 

Getting candid to Us Weekly, royal expert Nick Bullen, Editor-in-Chief of True Royalty TV, claimed that Prince Harry had a “conversation” with the King the night before and this sparked “hope”. 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

(Image credit: Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

“My understanding is he 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,” Nick alleged. “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.”

Despite this “hope”, Prince Harry reportedly instead chose to take a flight soon after the service to get back and celebrate Prince Archie’s fourth birthday.

Nick added, “I think that there was a sadness that he wasn’t part of the fuller day, but, you know, they all knew he was gonna get [on] that plane. I hear that the king made a toast to Archie ’cause it was his birthday, but even the way the King said that, [adding] ‘wherever he is,’ it was sad. And I think that’s the sad part is that these two grandchildren aren’t part of the story.

King Charles III on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

(Image credit: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “stepped back” they’ve only returned to the UK once as a family with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Very sadly, this means that King Charles hasn’t got to spend a huge amount of time with them, though the claim that Prince Harry had a “conversation” with him before the coronation could be very significant. 

Prince Harry himself told ITV News’ Tom Bradby earlier this year that he would “like to get [his[ father back” and that in his opinion “there’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that [his family] are willing to sit down and talk about it."

Whether or not they discussed everything in their supposed pre-coronation conversation, the suggestion that Prince Harry and King Charles talked is potentially a huge turning point.

Prince Harry and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend the 'International Year of The Reef' 2018 meeting

(Image credit: Photo by Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Following the release of the Duke’s memoir, Spare, rumors of a “rift” have intensified, making it all-the-more important that Prince Harry attended his father’s big day and allegedly had a talk beforehand. Fans will no doubt be hoping that more conversations could be had and that the entire Sussex family could return to the UK in the not-too-distant future.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!