Revealed: The story behind Prince Harry’s Coronation humiliation caused by Princess Anne’s enormous hat!

On May 6, 2023, the world held its breath as it anxiously awaited the arrival of Prince Harry at the coronation of King Charles at London’s Westminster Abbey.
It’s been more than 1,000 days since the Duke and his wife, former Suits star Meghan Markle, left the royal family and settled their family in the United States.
But the Prince’s decision to fly across the pond to support his father at the historic event marked the first time he has been photographed with the Royal Family since both the late Queen’s funeral and the publication of his bombshell memoir Spare.
Harry had a strange smile on his face as he entered the church with Princess Eugenie and Beatrice. His presence at the coronation was certainly far from guaranteed. After the original April 3 deadline to respond to the event’s invitation passed, there was radio silence on whether Meghan and Harry would sit in the pews.
Then, nine days after the deadline, the Palace released a statement confirming that the Duke would attend but that ‘The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.’
Harry, fifth in line to the throne, took the third row of the abbey for the ceremony with medals pinned to his suit jacket, while his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Princess Catherine took center stage.
But as the coronation began, eagle-eyed viewers watching the ceremony on television couldn’t help but notice that the feather in Princess Anne’s headdress was almost completely blocking Harry’s view.
As King Charles’ coronation began on May 6, 2023, the feather in Princess Anne’s headdress appeared to almost completely block Harry’s view. At the time, many speculated whether the positioning of the feather was intentional.
The Prince’s decision to fly across the pond to support his father at the historic event marked the first time he has been photographed with the Royal Family since both the late Queen’s funeral and the publication of his bombshell memoir Spare.
At the time, many were quick to speculate whether the placement of the feather almost immediately in front of his nephew was a deliberate move intended to ‘punish’ Harry after he left the Firm.
But in Robert Hardman’s book Charles III: New King, New Court: The Inside Story, the details behind Harry’s coronation humiliation are finally revealed.
Putting a definitive end to any speculation from ‘social media snipers’ that the Duke’s view was deliberately obstructed by Princess Anne’s ‘two-horned hat with a striking red feather’, royal expert Mr Hardman said: ‘This is nonsense.’
In fact, according to the royal expert, the main reason why the Princess Royal was placed in that seat was because she ‘requested a quick exit’.
It was also revealed that Princess Anne also questioned whether it was appropriate to wear the hat during the ceremony, but was reassured that it was not a matter of concern.
‘The hat was an interesting question,’ the Princess later recalled. ‘I said: “Are you sure you want me to wear the hat? Because it’s a pretty decent sized hat.” And the answer was yes. Here you go. ‘It’s not my choice.’
‘The Princess was expected to keep her hat on, because royal ladies do not take off their hats even if they wear uniform in church,’ a Palace official said.
Before the coronation, Harry and his aunt had a brief interaction as Princess Anne, dressed in her Blues and Royals uniform beneath her dark green Order of the Thistle mantle, stopped to chat with Harry as he made his way to the front of the abbey.
Prince Harry seen chatting happily with Princess Anne at coronation
But in Robert Hardman’s book Charles III: The Inside Story, the real story behind Harry’s apparent coronation humiliation is finally revealed. Mr Hardman described such speculation from ‘social media snipers’ as ‘absurd’
While most senior royals ignored the Prince, Anne asked Harry if he was okay in his seat. Could he see beyond his high-plumed hat?
In what appeared to be a good-natured exchange, lip-reading experts say the man told her ‘I don’t care’ and then ‘Sit forward!’ It was reported that he revealed that he said.
Before the coronation began, there appeared to be clear signs that Harry’s choice to leave the Royal Family had resulted in a “correction” of “protocols and priorities”.
As Mr Hardman explains: ‘Normally family members come to these events according to their place in the line of succession; Those furthest from the throne come first.’
But as a result of ‘Megxit’, Harry came ‘well ahead of those far below him in the hierarchy, such as the Gloucesters’.
Likewise, the Duke of York, who resigned from official royal duties in 2019 amid outrage over his friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was supposed to arrive ‘well ahead of the younger siblings he used to outrank’.
It was notable that both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were ranked third, as they both stepped down from royal duties under completely different circumstances.
Harry also couldn’t wear military fatigues to his coronation because that’s a privilege reserved for working members of the family. As a result, he wore a stylish three-piece morning suit and wore several medals on his chest.
It was difficult to make out much of Harry’s reaction to the ceremony due to the Princess Crown’s somewhat odd headgear, but the new King appeared to have his head bowed as he passed him on his way out of the abbey.
Robert Hardman wrote that the Duke of York joined Prince Harry in the third row of the abbey at the time of his coronation and should have arrived “well ahead of the younger brothers he had previously surpassed in rank.”
But an expert lip reader’s analysis of Eugenie’s interaction with her husband, marketing executive Jack Brooksbank, revealed some of Eugenie’s true feelings that day.
Jeremy Freeman claimed a stern-faced Harry said: ‘I’m fed up with the way you’re treating me.’
“This is not an ideal situation,” the duke added. To which Mr Brooksbank apparently responded: ‘It’s not a quiet life, is it?’
Mr Freeman told The Sun the moment did not appear in the film but Harry later shook his head and apparently said: ‘They don’t care.’
Mr Brooksbank allegedly replied: “I don’t have time for this.” ‘If it’s over, no…’
“That’s a possibility,” interrupted Harry.
While it’s unclear what exactly the pair were discussing, many royal fans suggest it has something to do with Harry’s strained relationship with his immediate family.
Once the coronation was over, the King’s son slipped out of the venue with a very brief farewell speech and headed straight for Heathrow Airport in a blacked-out electric BMW.
While the newly crowned King and Queen were accompanied on the balcony by familiar faces such as Prince William, Princess Catherine and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Harry was nowhere to be seen.
A well-placed source told the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English that the King was ‘really quite disappointed’ that Harry did not stay after the coronation. Rebecca later wrote that at a family luncheon following the ceremony, the King made a toast to Archie’s birthday.
After just 28 hours and 42 minutes in the UK, he was on a plane to California before his father and stepmother had even finished having their official portraits taken of Queen Camilla.
The Duke is believed to be keen to return to his £11 million Montecito mansion to celebrate his son Archie’s fourth birthday.
Meghan’s absence from the festivities was believed to be due to what was dubbed a “Coronation clash” with Archie’s “modest” birthday, but cynics suggested she may have harbored fears of a negative reaction from the British public.
A source told the Daily Mail that Meghan “stayed home to celebrate Archie’s birthday because she thought it would be unrealistic to do anything else.” The source added: ‘He wanted to minimize the drama.’
Meanwhile, another well-placed source told the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English at the time that the King was ‘really quite disappointed’ that Harry was not staying.
Rebecca later wrote that the King raised a glass to toast Archie’s birthday at a family luncheon after his coronation – a tribute to the grandson he had hardly seen.
After just 28 hours and 42 minutes in England, Prince Harry boarded a plane to California before his father and stepmother Queen Camilla had even finished having their official portraits taken (pictured)
The royal reception began with a loving speech from Prince William, who congratulated his father on making it through the historic day.
Charles then thanked everyone and toasted their grandson, Prince George, who also served as the Page of Honor along with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
But the new King toasted to those ‘who weren’t there’ before wishing his grandson Archie a very happy birthday ‘wherever he is’.
Following Meghan and Harry’s withdrawal from royal duties, the King is understood to have only met his estranged granddaughter Lilibet once, during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
Royal sources at the time said the meeting was ‘very emotional’ but that Charles and Camilla were ‘absolutely thrilled’ to spend some time with both Archie and Lilibet.
But despite the King’s cancer diagnosis and Harry’s suggestion that his father’s health struggle could lead to a reconciliation, the chances of the grandfather and grandchildren being reunited appear slimmer than ever.




