Prince Harry will not attend the Scottish coronation for king
Coronation 2.0! Prince Harry will miss it when his father is named head of state of Scotland next week in Edinburgh – while William and Kate get starring roles
Scotland will celebrate King Charles’s accession to the throne next week with a coronation-style ‘Thanksgiving service’ in Edinburgh – but only one of the monarch’s sons will be on hand to witness the historic event.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who hold the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay north of the border, are expected to join the King and Queen in a royal procession through the town on Wednesday.
The ceremony, at St Giles’ Cathedral, is an important part of Royal Week, with Charles and Camilla taking on various engagements in Scotland.
Prince Harry will reportedly not be attending the symbolic celebration of the Honors of Scotland on July 5 to officially mark his father’s becoming head of state in Scotland.
The Duke of Sussex attended the coronation on May 6 without wife Meghan Markle, flying just 24 hours to see his father crowned at Westminster Abbey, before returning to his home in Montecito, California.
King Charles and Queen Camilla on Charles’ coronation day on May 6 this year; the king will attend the Honors of Scotland service in Edinburgh on July 5
Prince Harry’s likely absence from the service shows that the father-son relationship isn’t exactly staying warm.
This week, Buckingham Palace revealed that Harry and Meghan Markle have finally moved out of Frogmore Cottage.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked in January to move all remaining possessions from their listed five-bedroom cottage near Windsor Castle.
Next week’s ceremony will include a popular procession of around 100 community groups to pay tribute at Edinburgh Castle.
The procession is then escorted to the cathedral by the Royal Regiment of Scotland and its Shetland pony mascot, Corporal Cruachan IV, supported by cadet musicians from the combined cadet force pipes and drums.
Meanwhile, a royal procession will ride from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the cathedral, with the public lining the Royal Mile to watch both processions.
The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as the Prince and Princess of Wales are known in Scotland, will attend the service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Scotland
Prince Harry, who flew in and out of the coronation in just 24 hours on May 6, is not expected to attend the ceremony
A 21-gun salute will be fired from Edinburgh Castle at the end of St Giles’ service, before the royal procession travels back to the palace.
The Stone of Destiny will be in the cathedral during the ceremony and there will also be a fly-past by the Red Arrows after the event.
Five new pieces of music will be played on the occasion of the coronation of the king and queen.
The pieces, including one composed in Gaelic, were commissioned by Charles on Wednesday for the national service of thanksgiving and dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral.
The new music will be part of what Buckingham Palace describes as a rich mix that reflects Scottish history and culture, featuring artists representative of Scotland today.