Prince Harry Apparently Made an “Unwise” Decision at King Charles’ Coronation, Is Seen As a “Loose Cannon”

Prince Harry walking under an umbrella — (Image credit: Getty)

Give him credit: Despite ongoing familial rifts, Prince Harry did fly into the U.K. for his father King Charles’ Coronation last month—albeit a quick trip. Harry arrived in his home country on Friday and departed not long after the King’s 11 a.m. ceremony at Westminster Abbey, headed back home to California and his son Prince Archie’s fourth birthday. (He made it home in time to tuck him into bed, likely resulting in endless jet lag and one of the longest days of Harry’s life—but fulfilling his duty to both his father and his son.)

In leaving the U.K. so soon, Harry missed out on a post-ceremony reception at Buckingham Palace that could have given him ample face time with his father, his brother, Prince William, and other members of the royal family. Royal expert Richard Kay, speaking on the Channel 5 documentary Harry Meghan: Is America Turning Against Them? (and per The Sun) said of Harry’s quick exit “that was unwise. 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.’”

Prince Harry stands outside at the Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey

On the same program, royal correspondent Tom Quinn added “the royal family will be deeply upset by the fact they have this loose cannon, someone William was [once] close to.”

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Prince Harry walking inside the Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey

While at the Abbey, Harry was spotted interacting with his cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and their husbands, as well as his cousin Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne (who Harry interacted with, as well). Marie Claire reported that Harry interacted with his father the night before the ceremony, and that Charles hoped Harry would stick around afterwards—instead, he was only in the U.K. for about 28 hours total.

Prince Harry seen entering a car as he exits the Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey

“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,” Nick Bullen, editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV, 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.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.