King Charles and Prince William reportedly in disagreement over coronation: 'The family is split'

King Charles and Prince William are said to be in disagreement over the coronation guest list. Charles reportedly wants Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle to be there, while William has his reservations.

King Charles and Prince William in disagreement

King Charles allegedly believes that the couple’s ‘absence would be a greater distraction than their presence’, according to the Daily Mail. However, the Prince of Wales is apparently concerned that unless his brother's visit is highly scripted, he could use the event to stage a ‘stunt’ and draw attention to himself, rather than the historic occasion. It is believed he might do this by visiting a 'deprived London borough'.

The King has reportedly requested that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, negotiate a deal to persuade the Duke of Sussex to attend. This is according to 'senior sources' who are apparently close to Lambeth Palace, which is the Archbishop's official London residence. Part of that deal may be guaranteeing him a high-profile seating position in Westminster Abbey or allowing him to keep his titles.

One source said:

The issue of substance is whether they attend the Coronation, and if they do, under what terms and conditions.

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.

The source continued:

Harry's camp made clear that the idea that he would just attend the Coronation and behave himself but then be stripped of his titles was a total non-starter.

While he might decide at some point to discard his titles of his own volition, he objects to the idea of being forcibly stripped of them.

Royal sources told The Telegraph that the Archbishop is 'very close' to the Sussexes and speaks to them frequently on the phone. It is believed he is 'very supportive of their plight'.

Read more:

⋙ King Charles' coronation could be in danger as speculation mounts he will be the last monarch

⋙ King Charles: Fears his coronation could ignite tensions due to guest list

Read more: King Charles: Prince Harry allegedly won’t take part in the coronation, but he’s not the only one

Prince Harry 'resents' comparison to Prince Andrew

The source also claims that the Duke of Sussex 'resents' being compared to the disgraced Prince Andrew. They said:

He resents being lumped together with Andrew in the public mind as the two 'problem Princes', when he considers the circumstances to be totally different.

Prince Harry was the first Royal Family member to publicly condemn Prince Andrew in his memoir Spare. When Meghan once asked him whether the family would ever take away their security protection, Harry wrote he responded:

Not in the wake of my Uncle Andrew. He was embroiled in a shameful scandal, accused of the sexual assault of a young woman, and no one had so much as suggested that he lose his security. Whatever grievances people had against us, sex crimes weren’t on the list.

Sources used:

The Telegraph: 'The King 'asks Justin Welby to broker deal allowing Prince Harry to attend Coronation''

Metro: 'Charles 'wants Harry at coronation but William fears stunt from brother''

Daily Mail: 'Charles WANTS Harry to attend his Coronation: The King 'asks Justin Welby to broker deal allowing Duke and Meghan to be at ceremony, but William fears his brother will use the event to stage a 'stunt''... as 'monarch mulls over giving his OWN TV interview''

HuffPost: 'Prince Harry Becomes First Royal To Publicly Talk About Prince Andrew's 'Shameful Scandal''