Prince Harry’s 'subtle bow' to King Charles sparks speculation

Prince Harry may have felt out of place at King Charles' Coronation, but he kept a composed exterior. 

The Duke of Sussex arrived solo, as his wife Meghan Markle chose to stay in California with their children, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie, who was celebrating his fourth birthday. 

Meghan reportedly wanted to avoid stirring up any drama and felt that attending such a historic event would feel "inauthentic."

Despite leaving his family behind, Harry made a swift 28-hour trip to the UK to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. He arrived alongside Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, accompanied by their husbands, Jack Brooksbank and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. 

Given his recent criticisms of the royal family—including Prince William, Princess Kate, and Queen Camilla—Harry's presence at the event certainly drew attention. Seated in the third row, he was noticeably distant from his older brother.

Harry didn’t appear to interact with either William or King Charles, but he made a subtle, telling gesture toward the King as he passed by inside the Abbey. 

In his book Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, Robert Hardman recounts the events of the day, including the moment when King Charles walked past his youngest son.

As the National Anthem concluded, King Charles approached the royal pews where the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh performed deep curtseys. 

The men, including Harry from his seat in the third row, bowed respectfully. Notably, Harry’s bow was longer than most—a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.

He writes: "As the National Anthem reaches the end of the first verse, the King is alongside the royal pews where the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh, both in the front row, plunge into floor-scraping curtseys. "All the men bow, including the Duke of Sussex in row three. Indeed, tellingly, he drops his head for longer than most. "

Prince Harry is now all but estranged from his family following the release of his memoir Spare. 

And, according to reports, he and wife Meghan Markle are potentially planning a sequel to the bombshell book. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has said any further tell-all book will send the couple down a "lucrative but poisonous path".

Speaking to the Express, he said: "The publication of Harry's memoir Spare began a dreadful year for the Sussexes which saw them lose Spotify and their popularity plummeted in the ratings in the US. They were mocked and Harry's revelations in Spare were often unwise and were also laughed at.

"Harry revealed he had cut four hundred pages from it, because they were so sensitive and, in theory anyway, these could form the basis of another book. 

"He could also write about his childhood and Meghan could write a memoir. However this would undoubtedly advertise to the world that the only way they could make a living was by continuing to trash the Royal Family."