Will Prince Harry not attend the coronation because of security fears and ‘drop’ in popularity?

As much as King Charles may want his youngest son Prince Harry to be a part of his coronation, it seems that the list of reasons why he might not attend grows longer by the day.

According to Newsweek “Following the publication of Spare, Harry’s popularity fell 45 points in the United States, according to a Newsweek poll by Redfield & Wilton. Meghan’s dropped 36 points.”

Although in a recent Ipsos poll, both Prince Harry and Prince William’s popularity dropped, Prince William and Kate Middleton remained two of the most popular members of the monarchy.

Ipsos revealed that: “Now, just under a quarter say they have a favourable opinion of Prince Harry (23%) , down from 30% in December 2022, while Meghan’s ratings have fallen 5 ppt to 19% favourable. More than half say they have an unfavourable opinion of the Sussexes (53% Prince Harry, 55% Meghan).”

As well as the ‘drop’ in their popularity, another reason why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may not attend the coronation is because of fears over their security. According to The Independent, “Two-thirds of Britons think Prince Harry damaged national security by revealing that he killed 25 Taliban in Afghanistan, exclusive polling for The Independent has found.”

Not only are their concerns over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s safety from a security perspective if they attend the King’s coronation, there is also the question of how much it will all cost too.

New figures have revealed that Prince Harry's battle to keep police protection while he is in Britain has cost just under £300,000.

According to LBC, “The government has spent £296,882 defending the court case since it began in Autumn 2021, according to figures obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.”

Eighteen months ago, Prince Harry launched a High Court Judicial Review after his automatic right to have armed bodyguards was removed after he and Meghan Markle decided to step back from royal duties.

The Duke of Sussex’s court case against the Home Office is expected to take place in April. It will be interesting to see if it will be settled before any decision is made on whether Prince Harry and his wife attend the coronation.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also been roasted by South Park in a recent episode and it has been reported that lawyers for the couple are ‘casting an eye’ over it.