UK Prime Minister Rushi Sunak To Decide Whether or Not Prince Harry Shall Attend His Father's Coronation

The Prime Minister could be drawn in to the increasingly intense debate over whether Prince Harry should be invited to the Coronation, after senior Royal insiders argued that the decision should be 'taken out of the King's hands'.

Sources say King Charles should use the so-called 'Churchill precedent' to escape the 'impossible' decision of either inflaming tensions by barring his son, or enduring the circus that would surround his attendance with wife Meghan.

Harry has so far refused to say whether or not he would come to the ceremony if he was invited, even when directly asked.

In 1953, Churchill, then Prime Minister, made it clear to the Duke of Windsor – who had abdicated as Edward VIII more than 16 years earlier – that he would not be welcome at Queen Elizabeth's Coronation.

A well-placed source told The Mail on Sunday: 'The Coronation is a State event and funded by the State. So, in the same way that Winston Churchill advised the Duke of Windsor to stay away [from Elizabeth II's Coronation], the decision of whether to invite Harry, who has no official Royal role and no state function at the ceremony, will be down to the Government rather than just his father.'

However, Whitehall insiders tried to hand responsibility for the 'Harry hot potato' back to Buckingham Palace.

A source said last night: 'Traditionally, the Royal Household provides us with the number of Royal guests, without giving their identity, and we construct the arrangements on that basis.'

This newspaper understands that the Cabinet Office is establishing a 'Coronation committee' of civil servants, Royal officials and Church of England representatives to plan the May 6 event.

The Home Office will also be heavily involved in the arrangements. If Harry attends there will be additional security concerns given his revelation that he killed 25 Taliban fighters when serving in Afghanistan.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the arrangements last night, but a Royal insider said the King was 'livid' about the allegations aired in Harry's memoir, Spare, including his attacks on the Queen Consort.

Harry has branded Camilla as 'dangerous' and ramped up the rhetoric in an interview with US journalist Anderson Cooper last week.