A Former Royal Butler Reveals What He Thinks Queen Elizabeth Would Have Thought of Prince Harry’s Coronation Appearance

The coronation of King Charles III took place on May 6, 2023. The elaborate ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey. Among the guests were celebrities such as Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Emma Thompson.

Also in attendance were Kate Middleton and Prince William (along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis). Prince Harry attended without Meghan Markle. Former royal butler Grant Harrold recently shared how he thinks the late Queen Elizabeth would have felt about Harry’s participation. Here’s what he had to say.

Prince Harry didn’t appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony

After the coronation ceremony, King Charles and the royal family members stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. It’s part of their tradition to gather here after a major royal event. However, two royals—Prince Harry and Prince Andrew—were absent from the gathering. They weren’t permitted to stand on the balcony because they were not working royals.

Prince Harry didn’t stay long after King Charles’ coronation. Once things wrapped up, he headed to the airport. His son, Archie, was celebrating his 4th birthday. Harry likely wanted to hurry home so he could spend time with his son on his special day.

How would Queen Elizabeth have felt about Prince Harry’s coronation participation?

Former royal butler Grant Harrold weighed in on the coronation. According to him, Queen Elizabeth would have been pleased with the ceremony. However, he believes she would have been disappointed with Prince Harry’s lack of participation. In a statement for Oddspedia, Harrold says the late monarch would have probably wanted both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew to appear on the balcony.

"I think the whole thing would have been exactly how the late Queen wanted it to be. If she was there to approve, it would have been exactly how she would have wanted. If she was here, she would have been very proud of how Charles handled it. It was beautifully done, there was nothing that you could say was wrong with [the ceremony and the procession]. I think the sad part from her point of view would have been not having Harry and Andrew on the balcony, but as non-working members of the royal family, that would have been given."

Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth’s relationship

Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth were close. They were often seen smiling and laughing during royal events. Harry spoke about his relationship with his grandmother during his interview with Michael Strahan earlier this year. He says he and the late Queen “had a very good relationship.”

The Duke of Sussex also said Queen Elizabeth wasn’t angry with him for stepping away from his duties as a working royal. According to him, they had many conversations about the possibility of him transitioning out of his role. Harry says his grandmother was not surprised when he and Meghan announced their plans.

“She knew what was going on,” Prince Harry tells Strahan during a TV special titled Prince Harry in His Own Words. “She knew how hard it was. And I have huge amounts of respect for her. She never said to me that she was angry. I think she was sad that it had gotten to that point.”