King Charles 'wants to broker a deal' to get Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to attend his coronation

After the many (many!) bombshells that were recently dropped by the Sussexes – first in their Netflix docu-series and later in Prince Harry's tell-all memoir – royal fans have been speculating as to whether the couple will be in attendance at King Charles III's coronation later this year, or whether they'll be invited at all.

But, it turns out that King Charles does want Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the guest-list for the historic event and has reportedly asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to broker a deal to allow the pair to attend.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Charles wants Justin Welby to strike an agreement that would allow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to attend the Westminster Abbey ceremony in May – which notably falls on the same date as their son's birthday. Welby will officiate at the Westminster Abbey ceremony, and was previously asked to act as an intermediary between Princes William and Harry shortly after Queen Elizabeth II's death in September.

Sources who spoke to the publication claimed that the King feels that Harry and Meghan's absence at the coronation would be a bigger distraction than their presence, so is prepared to make concessions to persuade them to attend. However, the Mail on Sunday's insider alleged that William is concerned that his brother's attendance would overshadow the event.

"The issue of substance is whether they attend the coronation, and if they do, under what terms and conditions," the source said. "The family is split, and all the indications are that Harry is being advised to agree to nothing at this stage and 'play it long' right up to the last minute, which is making negotiations with him very difficult."

Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and the Sussexes are yet to publicly comment on the claims.

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