As King Charles III‘s May 6 coronation draws closer, the question remains if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend.
A palace insider tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be invited to his father’s coronation; however, a source close to Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, says that an invitation has yet to be extended, and there has been no movement toward reconciliation.
Relations between the Sussexes and the royal family have remained strained in the wake of Prince Harry’s memoir release last month. In an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby surrounding the book, Harry said of the coronation, “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.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/king-charles-meghan-markle-prince-harry-9922-1604143c620941e99175aa8343de0a1e.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
But the way things stand now, there is still a long way to go.
“The problem is that [Harry and Meghan] want a capitulation and apology by the palace, but when ‘recollections vary,’ that’s quite difficult,” says a close source.
King Charles, 74, is eager for the situation “calm down” in time for his coronation.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/royals-cover-020723-73b80c5b7063446eae533f30a5d34fb0.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
A source close to the royal household says: “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.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/charles-meghan-3-62cd67a817ea469ca1c5482244a8245c.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Royal historian Robert Lacey points out that despite tensions, the family has been able to unite before.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/charles-meghan-4-b939c74bb1ab445c82426807fc2d7a51.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
“There have been some very grave disagreements between them,” Lacey says. “But the Platinum Jubilee and the funerals of the Queen and Prince Philip did demonstrate that they could put personal enmity aside for the sake of the bigger cause. And that is what the coronation will be all about.”
Adds royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, “The monarchy is bigger than a family argument.”