Despite the ongoing issues between Prince Harry and the royal family, reporter Nick Bullen believes there were still some members of the monarchy who were excited to see the Duke of Sussex at King Charles' coronation — however, their opportunity to catch up with the Spare author was cut short since he jetted out of the country as soon as the ceremony concluded.
The move wasn't unexpected, but it did come as a disappointment for some.
"I heard from somebody who was actually involved on the day that up until the morning [of the ceremony], nobody really knew what Harry’s plans were going to be for that afternoon," Bullen spilled in a new interview. "I think everybody knew he had a plane to catch. … But there was a hope, I think, that he might be part of some of the family celebrations back at the palace."
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Despite the tension between the Duke of Sussex and some of his loved ones, the royal expert said Charles likely felt a sense of "sadness" that his youngest son didn't stick around for the weekend-long festivities.
A second source countered that his short trip left some relatives "wondering why Harry bothered to come at all."
"One makes one’s choices," noted the source. "To be honest there wasn’t much talk of Harry at all. The focus was very much on the occasion."
However, Harry had good reason to bounce, as the day of the coronation was also his and Meghan Markle's son Archie's 4th birthday.
As OK! reported, the mom-of-two — who stayed in America and skipped the U.K. coronation all together — marked the milestone with an at-home party, where they opened gifts and snacked on homemade lemon cake.
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The toddler was also on Charles' mind, as at the coronation luncheon, he reportedly toasted to "those that weren’t there" and wished his youngest grandson a happy birthday "wherever he was."
An insider called the gesture "a very sweet moment."
Us Weekly spoke to Bullen.
