King Charles' Coronation Date May Cause Issues For Prince Harry And Meghan Markle

In light of the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, her eldest son, Charles, has now elevated to the throne as King Charles III. Like his mother before him, however, his coronation was not immediate upon his ascension. Although she became queen on February 6, 1952, for instance, Elizabeth's coronation did not take place for another 16 months, on June 2, 1953. 

King Charles has yet to receive his official coronation, though the date has finally been revealed. And as many royal observers are aware, things between King Charles' youngest son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and the rest of the family are still rather tense at the moment, largely stemming from Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's decision to step back as senior members of the royal family and live in Meghan's native California. 

Yet, while he has made efforts to showcase a positive relationship between himself and his youngest son as king, it seems as though Charles III's coronation date may cause some issues if he wants the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to attend. 

On October 12, more than a month after Queen Elizabeth II's death, Buckingham Palace finally announced the date of King Charles III's coronation: May 6, 2023. However, that may cause some consternation among members of the family, given that it will also be the fourth birthday of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son. Although some have expressed anger and frustration, assuming it was intentional, some royal experts have posited otherwise. 

Tom Bower, journalist, royal historian, and author of the 2022 book "Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors," told Page Six on that the May 6 date was chosen as King Charles III's coronation date to fit with Parliament's schedule and that Buckingham Palace could hardly be concerned with slighting Harry and Meghan. "Archie's birthday was the last thing they thought about," he said, adding, "It's just before the state opening of Parliament and Charles will want to appear as King with his crown and the whole ceremonial [robes]."

According to Town & Country, there are other reasons May 6 is a noteworthy date for the royals. It was also the date of the wedding between Charles' aunt, Princess Margaret, and her only husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones, in 1960. In addition, his great-great grandfather, King Edward VII, died on May 6, 1910, making his son, Charles' great grandfather George V, king.