The two-hour ceremony was built on ancient traditions at a time when the monarchy faces an uncertain future.
It was a spare moment that spoke volumes.
After King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation at Westminster Abbey officially concluded on May 6, the pair appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the first time as newly ordained monarchs.
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And keeping with tradition, other working royals joined the couple for the notable moment including Prince William, Kate Middleton and Lady Louise Windsor, among others. Plus, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis waved to the crowd. But it was the absence of Prince Harry that had royal fans chattering.
Why?
The reigning moment featuring Charles and William alongside other family members comes nearly three years after the Duke of Sussex announced that he and his wife Meghan Markle would take a step back from royal duties. Since then, family tensions have only seemed to grow, undoubtedly made more complicated by the recent release of Harry's bombshell memoir, Spare. (For a full timeline, bow over here.)
Not to mention, the gathering of the royal family on the balcony is usually reserved for working members, and this moment was no different.
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A Royal Review of Who's Attending King Charles III's Coronation
"Harry has written a whole book about how he felt that he was playing second fiddle to his brother, the entirety of his life," royal correspondent Sharon Carpenter exclusively told E! News ahead of the coronation."So, I think this was Charles' opportunity to really show Harry, ‘You are just as important as Prince William when it comes to family.'"
But with a technical hierarchy in place when it comes to the royal family, the moment proved to be more complex.
While Harry reunited with his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, Meghan stayed back in the U.S. with their children Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 22 months. After all, the day not only marked Charles and Camilla's coronation but it is also Archie's birthday.
"It's a little hard to explain, ‘Sorry, your party is going to have to wait, your granddad's more important,'" Carpenter said, noting, "Harry is fulfilling his obligations. I think this is the simplest and probably the best solution."
