King ‘asks Archbishop to help strike deal with Prince Harry’

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The King has reportedly leaned on the Archbishop of Canterbury to ask Prince Harry to attend his coronation.

But the new monarch is said to be facing opposition from his eldest son, Prince William, who is reported to be fearful of any opportunity that his estranged sibling could use at the event to stage a “stunt”.

According to The Telegraph, the King is said to believe if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex refused to attend the coronation later this year, it would be a greater distraction than their presence would be.

Justin Welby officiated Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 and, according to the newspaper, is “very supportive of their plight”. The Archbishop is said to regularly speak to the couple by phone.

The King is reportedly willing to agree on concessions which would allow Harry and Meghan to sit in a high-profile seating position inside Westminster Abbey, as well as an assurance that the couple would retain their royal titles.

Harry’s recent publication of his memoir ‘Spare’, which became the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time on release, included a series of attacks on his family and the institution of monarchy.

The reports follow further suggestions from a BBC insider that the King is in discussions to do a landmark interview, including a discussion about his life and his plans as monarch.

According to the report from the Mirror, Buckingham Palace officials are said to be concerned about the possible line of questioning, particularly on topics related to Harry and Meghan.

The BBC source added that ITV had also approached the King for an interview, though this is said to be doubtful following Tom Bradby’s highly publicised interview with Harry earlier this month.

A further report from the Mail on Sunday suggests that the King is open to reconciliation in order for Harry and Meghan to attend his coronation. A palace source told the newspaper: “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.

“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.

The archbishop has previously been asked by the Palace to serve as an intermediary between William and Harry after Queen Elizabeth died in September last year.

Neither Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the archbishop, or Buckingham Palace have commented on the claims.

Harry’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.