Prince William's Future Coronation Could Exclude Harry, Royal Photographer Suggests Amid Brothers' Rift

Royal photographer Arthur Edwards has cast doubt on whether Prince Harry would attend a future coronation for Prince William, in comments discussed on the Royals Unscripted podcast and reported in Britain on Saturday, 14 November 2026. No guest list has been drawn up, and no decision about Harry's attendance has been announced.

William is first in line to succeed King Charles III, but no date has been set for a coronation. The latest discussion centres on the brothers' troubled relationship, rather than any announced plans for the ceremony.

How Edwards' Memoir Prompted Coronation Speculation

Edwards was speaking with royal editor Emily Ferguson about his memoir, Cup of Tea, Arthur?: My Extraordinary 50 Years Photographing the Royal Family, published by HarperCollins on 5 November. Edwards has photographed the royal family for about five decades.

Ferguson referred to a passage in the book which, in her account, suggested William did not want Harry at his future coronation. She also portrayed William as unwilling to see his younger brother again.

Those were Ferguson's descriptions of the book's contents. The reported exchange did not include a direct statement from William confirming either claim, and there is no evidence that an invitation has been issued or withheld.

Edwards acknowledged that he did not know what had caused the brothers' relationship to deteriorate. 'That's going to take a lot of sorting out,' he told Ferguson, before saying he did not know the reason for the dispute.

He speculated that the disagreement might have been sufficiently serious to make forgiveness difficult. His assessment did not establish what happened between the brothers or whether either had made a decision about a future royal event.

The distinction matters because the coronation would take place only after William became monarch. Until then, predictions about its guest list remain speculative, however familiar a commentator may be with the royal family.

What Succession Means for Harry

Tensions between William and Harry were publicly discussed years before the latest remarks. During an ITV documentary in 2019, Harry acknowledged that he and William were on 'different paths', while emphasising that they remained brothers.

Harry offered a more contentious account in his 2023 memoir, Spare. He alleged that William grabbed him by the collar and knocked him to the floor during an argument. Harry also attributed unflattering descriptions of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to his brother. These were Harry's allegations, not independently established findings.

Despite those difficulties, Harry attended King Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey in May 2023. His presence at that ceremony does not determine whether he would receive or accept an invitation to William's eventual coronation.

Harry and Meghan returned to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in August 2026. Their move did not entail a return to official royal duties, and it provides no confirmation that relations between Harry and William have improved.

The royal family's published succession order places William first, followed by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Harry is fifth. If William becomes king and the order remains unchanged, George would become heir apparent and Harry would move to fourth.

Accession happens immediately upon a monarch's death; coronation is a separate ceremony. For now, William's prospective coronation has neither an announced date nor a confirmed guest list.