King Charles' Coronation Program Includes a Family Photo Featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The pamphlet hits newsstands after Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry will be attending the coronation while Meghan remains in California with their children
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been included in King Charles' official coronation program.
On Monday, the souvenir program for the May 6 crowning ceremony of King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, hit newsstands in the U.K. The illustrated 84-page pamphlet includes biographies of the King and Queen Consort, details on the coronation celebrations, the history of the traditions and family photos.
The booklet includes one of King Charles' 70th birthday portraits, taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson and released by Clarence House to mark the milestone in 2018. The family shot shows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex smiling alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4. (Prince Harry and Meghan's children — Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet, 22 months — weren't born yet.)
"Nice to see this picture I took in 2018 in the Official Coronation Programme - Had such fun taking it," Jackson wrote on Instagram Tuesday.
Related:Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Roles Within the Royal Family Since Their Exit Explained
The inclusion of the image was a poignant choice, as Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, stepped back from their royal roles in January 2020 and relocated to the United States. When Queen Elizabeth responded to the news of Harry and Meghan's royal exit, she stressed that the couple "will always be much-loved members of my family."
Framed photos of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously been spotted in family photo displays throughout Buckingham Palace following King Charles' accession. In October, a shot from Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in 2018 was seen during the monarch's meeting with then-Prime Minister Liz Truss, while Prince Harry and Meghan were all smiles in a picture from Prince Louis' christening in 2018 seen behind Queen Camilla a week later.
Prince Harry and Meghan's inclusion in the official coronation souvenir program follows the news that Prince Harry will attend the upcoming crowning ceremony while Meghan will not.
"Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," the palace said in a statement last Wednesday.
Related:Prince Harry to Attend King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation Without Meghan Markle
Prince Harry wanted to be at the service to support his father at this important moment in his life, a friend tells PEOPLE.
Although there are three days of events surrounding the coronation, including a concert at Windsor Castle and a volunteer day, the Duke of Sussex is not expected to attend outings aside from the crowning ceremony. The palace had no comment or guidance on whether Harry will join King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the coronation.
Meanwhile, Meghan is staying in California with the couple's two children. May 6 is also Prince Archie's fourth birthday, and she will spend the weekend celebrating with him and his sister, 22-month-old Princess Lilibet, PEOPLE understands.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were most recently with the rest of the royal family in the U.K. at Queen Elizabeth's state funeral in September. Prince Harry also made a surprise visit to the U.K. last month, attending London's High Court for a legal case in which he and other prominent figures including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd, publisher of the Daily Mail, for illegal information gathering.
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On March 5, The Sunday Times reported that Prince Harry and Meghan received an invitation to the coronation, though their decision on attending was not disclosed at the time. In a statement, a spokesperson for the couple told the paper, "I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty's office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time."
Commenting on the coronation in a January interview with ITV's Tom Bradby surrounding the release of his memoir Spare, Harry said, "There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it."
Following the fanfare around Prince Harry's book, King Charles was said to be eager for the situation "calm down" in time for his coronation.
A source close to the royal household told PEOPLE: "It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don't sort it out, it will always be part of the King's reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue."
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