King Charles won't speak to Prince Harry at coronation, Princess Diana's former butler claims
Diana's longtime butler Paul Burrell said he believes Harry will be seated '10 rows back' and will not 'even see' King Charles or Prince William
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Prince Harry will have no interaction with his immediate family members when he attends King Charles III's coronation next month, Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell said he believes.
Burrell, 64, served in Diana's household from 1987 until her death at the age of 36 in August 1997. In a recent interview on GB News, Burrell said he thinks that her youngest son will be seated "10 rows back" at his father's coronation and won't "even see" Charles or his brother Prince William during the event.
"He's coming to show face," Burrell told the outlet. "He's coming to put his foot in the door. He's coming because his father wants him to be there."
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Burrell continued, "His father would be delighted that both his sons witnessed this incredible day of his life. But he's not going to hang around because, let's face it, he's pushed his family under the bus, and he doesn't want to spend much time around them."
"So I don't think there's any chance of a reconciliation anytime soon," he added. "I honestly think that he's going to get a very icy reception from the Windsors in Westminster Abbey."
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"He's going to be sitting 10 rows back. He's not even going to see his brother or his father during that time," Burrell claimed. "He will be literally in and out in a flash. And don't forget, he did the same to our dear late queen. At the Platinum Jubilee, he was in and out in a flash. She didn't even know he had gone."
Last June, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, 41, traveled to London for the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee but were only seen at two events. The couple attended the National Service of Thanksgiving and the Trooping of the Color ceremony.
Due to their status as nonworking royals, Harry and Markle watched the Trooping of the Color from the Major General's Office with other members of the extended royal family instead of joining Queen Elizabeth and the working royal family members on the balcony.
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At the time, a source close the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told People magazine that they intentionally kept a low profile during the festivities.
"They aren't part of the [working] royal family anymore, and that's a decision they have taken — but maybe [the public] hasn't quite accepted that yet," the insider said. "Yes, they were low-key. They paid their respects and went home."
"They were really here to see the Queen, and they did," the source added.
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Harry and Markle were on a pre-planned trip to the United Kingdom to attend a series of charity events when Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96 last September. They extended their stay through the period of royal mourning and returned to their home in California one day after the monarch's funeral.
Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Harry will attend his father’s coronation, ending months of speculation about whether the prince would be welcomed following the publication of his explosive memoir "Spare."
However, Markle will remain in California with their two children, Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet, 1, the palace said. The May 6 date of the coronation coincides with Archie’s birthday.
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According to reports, Harry is expected to skip the star-studded coronation concert headlined by Lionel Richie and Katy Perry. The Duke of Sussex will reportedly leave the U.K. shortly after attending the coronation and fly back to California to be with Markle and his children.
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that Harry and William have not spoken since Queen Elizabeth's funeral and will likely keep their distance at their father's coronation.
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"There is no doubt that relations between William and Harry are at an all-time low," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital last week. "They reportedly are not communicating and are unlikely to be seated near each other at Westminster Abbey. If Harry does, as is apparently intended, depart almost immediately for California after the ceremony, it is highly unlikely that any meaningful interactions with any members of the royal family will occur. They know they can’t trust him, and he is well aware as to why!"
Burrell told GB Britain that he was "not surprised" that Harry was attending the coronation solo.
"I don't think there's any chance of Meghan ever coming," he said. "I did say a long time ago he will come alone, and he will leave her behind."
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Burrell said the explanation that Markle was missing the coronation because of Archie's birthday was a "lame excuse." He pointed out that Lilibet celebrated her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage during the Platinum Jubilee.
"I think she was scared of coming back to this country, and quite rightly, because the people of this country don't like the fact that she's stolen our prince," Burrell said before claiming, "And she's literally brainwashed him, blinkered him and tied him down to his California mansion."
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Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.