Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will sit “prominently” when they leave at the coronation

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King Charles will “do the right thing” and place his son Prince Harry “prominently” at his coronation, friends of the King believe, despite Harry’s recent broadside against his family, whom he accused in court this week of conspiring with British newspapers and withheld information about phone hacking from him.

In testimony, Harry said: “The institution [the monarchy] certainly withheld information about NGN’s from me for a long time [News Group Newspapers—publishers of The Sun and now-defunct News of the World] Phone hacking and this has only become apparent in recent years as I have pursued my own claim with various legal advice and representation.”

He also accused the Palace of “conditioning” him to accept that he had nothing against media abuse. Harry added: “The institution made it clear that we didn’t need to know anything about phone hacking and it was made clear to me that the royal family did not sit on the witness stand because that could open a can of worms.”

However, the royals appear to be taking the latest volleys in stride.

“Nothing that happens between now and then will change the seating plan,” a friend of the king told The Daily Beast. “Charles always said he loved his two sons. He wants them both there. Harry and Meghan are invited and will be prominently seated.”

Harry and Meghan have yet to confirm their attendance at the May 6 ceremony. When they show up at Westminster Abbey, however, most observers believe the seating arrangement will favor William as heir to the throne, with the best seat at his father’s and Camilla’s side (when the king and queen are seated with the congregation). , as they will be for part of the procedure). He will be joined by his wife Kate and their three children, who will make up all the seats on the right-hand side of the aisle (provided they sit 14 abreast, as they did at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral) and will greet the king and family neatly hold the first four in the row together visually.

On the left-hand side of the aisle, expect to see his sister Princess Anne, who was lying at her mother’s bedside with Charles when she died last September, and her husband Sir Tim Laurence. Edward and his wife Sophie, recently elevated to the position of Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, appear to be in hiding. This leaves three spots free, provided they are not given to Edward’s (Louise and James) or Anne’s (Zara and Peter) children.

Those three spots could be filled by Harry, Meghan and Andrew. There seems to be widespread agreement in royal circles that Edward, who is not complaining, may have to take the hit of sitting next to Andrew, meaning Harry, Meghan, Anne, Sir Tim, Sophie, Edward and Andrew are all separated from the gear could solve .

Andrew’s involvement in this pivotal event appears to be what public opinion has softened on ever since he accompanied his mother to her place at the memorial to her late husband. It would solidify a tale of Charles the Magnanimous.

Making Harry the center of attention would certainly be a striking visual countermeasure to the core complaint Harry made in his book spare part that he and his wife were not treated with respect by the family. It would be good for Charles not to be seen snubbing his second son, who is fifth in line to the throne, a position he will retain until William has grandchildren, which could easily be over 20 years from there eldest son, George, is only 9.

Attempting to confine Harry, Meghan and Andrew behind a pillar a few rows back would only make Charles look extremely petty and lend credence to every word Harry wrote.

But if Charles puts Harry and Meghan in the front row, it won’t just be for PR reasons. Another friend, who believed the seating arrangement was ongoing, told The Daily Beast: “Charles has a strong sense of tradition and tradition dictates that Harry should be in the front row. I am sure he will do the right thing. Despite everything that has happened, he is his son.”

When you speak to friends of the King and Queen, this is the message they are always keen to get through; Charles loves Harry; he is his son and of course he is wanted at the coronation. Even Harry’s most ardent supporters don’t dispute these central claims – in fact, Harry’s book was surprisingly tender towards his beleaguered father. There is no malice and little duplicity in the “Pa” of spare partrather, his failings as a father seem to stem from very human weaknesses.

spare part certainly damaged the mystique of the monarchy, but unlike Diana’s book with Andrew Morton, it has not shaken the institution to its core. The mission statement of the palace in relation to spare part seems to be more and more often: “Book – which book?”

There is, of course, still the potential for Harry and Meghan to capsize Operation Golden Orb, as the coronation is codenamed, by declining the invitation – which they received but were unwilling to confirm if they would accept. It would be foolish to rule that out given her ability to surprise, his demands for an apology or a summit as a condition of attendance, and his condemnation of his family in the Netflix films, his book and in court again this week.

But if Harry leaves – with a family he loathes taking center stage – it would probably make a lot of sense for the millions of viewers who are likely to be in a very similar place at Thanksgiving and Christmas.