Why Prince Harry Didn't Sit Next to Prince William and Kate Middleton at King Charles's Coronation

Unlike his brother Princes William and sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Prince Harry didn't get a front-row seat to his father King Charles's coronation ceremony this morning. 

Instead, the Duke of Sussex was relegated to the third row and seated between Princess Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Queen Elizabeth's cousin Princess Alexandra. The front row was reportedly reserved for working royals only, which Harry is no longer. Back in 2020, he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their senior royal positions, and currently live in California with their two children — Archie, 4, and 23-month-old Lilibet. 

Aside from a few awkward glances and facial expressions, Harry appeared to be fine with where he was seated.

As for his outfit, Harry, who served in the British Army for a decade and undertook two tours of Afghanistan, showed up to the crowning ceremony in a morning suit, not his military uniform. It's reported that Charles requested he wear a suit and Harry didn't object. “Harry didn’t push for a seat up front and he didn’t push to wear his military uniform,” source told Page Six about his low-key appearance at the coronation. 

Harry attended Charles's coronation solo, as Meghan and the couple's two children opted to stay home in Los Angeles for Archie's fourth birthday, which is also today. "While Prince Harry joins the pump and the pageantry over here, it's going to be a much quieter occasion for Meghan over in California, who will be bringing together some of her closest friends and family for birthday celebrations for Archie," royal journalist Omid Scobie told Entertainment Tonight.