Harry and Meghan 4/6 to Return for King Charles Coronation
Prince Harry will be on the guest list for the Coronation of King Charles III if the latest odds are to be believed. The UK’s online betting firms now consider it odds-on that the royal family feud will be shelved, for one day at least.
The odds on the ‘will he – won’t he’ saga flipped earlier this week. Beforehand, a no-show was considered the strong favorite. The price shift follows newspaper reports that the King has asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to reach out to his estranged son.
Harry is still being publicly lambasted following his, and his wife Meghan’s, one-sided Netflix documentary and media interviews promoting his bombshell memoir, ‘Spare’. The book sold over 1.4 million copies on the day of its release. It has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time.
Concerns Concession Could Be a Stunt
Despite the controversy, punters are increasingly optimistic that royal rivalries will be set aside for the Westminster Abbey ceremony on May 6th. The monarchy is as tight-lipped as ever regarding Harry’s damaging allegations and King Charles’s coronation invitation list.
According to some newspaper reports, the King is said to believe the couple’s absence would be a bigger distraction than their presence. He is therefore prepared to make concessions to persuade Harry and Meghan to attend the crowning ceremony.
However, that suggestion was diminished somewhat by a Sunday Mail story which stated Prince William is understood to be concerned that his brother will use the event to stage a ‘stunt’ that would overshadow the event.
If the outcome is swayed by public opinion – not always something to be relied on – then Ladbrokes current odds of 4/6 about Harry and Meghan showing up is a perfectly priced proposition. According to a poll recently conducted by research firm Ipsos, sixty percent of Britons think the 38-year-old Duke should attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Two Crowning Moments but Heads Will Roll?
Racing fans may find themselves channel hopping on May 6th as coronation day will also see a new 2000 Guineas champion crowned at Newmarket racecourse. Interestingly, online betting sites suggest there is a fair chance that the colt’s classic winner will be coincidently named.
The best horse racing betting sites have several horses with royal-related names listed in the betting. These include Royal Scotsman (16/1), Proud And Regal (16/1), Knight (25/1), Regal Honour (33/1), City Of Kings (40/1), King Of Steel (40/1) and Tower Of London (50/1).
Of course, the capital’s landmark Tower of London was the scene of three royal executions. Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey were all found guilty of treason and beheaded there.
Strong form indicators are on display here – the equine Tower Of London is trained by Aidan O’Brien, and the Irishman has won the 2000 Guineas ten times in the past – but maybe backing this royal-related treble is a little over-optimistic!