The estranged prince stayed in the background during his father's coronation -- but was of course still a center of attention.
Prince Harry stayed in the background during the coronation for his father, King Charles III, but was, of course, still a point of focus for many watching the ceremony.
The estranged prince had no formal role in the coronation, nor did he make any contact with the king or his brother, Prince William, during the big day. However, many eyes were still on the embattled royal as he attended the festivities for his father and Queen Camilla.
Harry was spotted entering Westminster Abbey on Saturday morning with his cousins, Princess Beatrice, Princes Eugenie, and Zara Tindall, as well as their respective spouses. He seemed in good spirits, smiling and chatting with Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and sat with his family -- next to Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, and directly behind his aunt, Anne, Princess Royal.
Over the course of the solemn ceremony, Harry did let his personality show through a bit, with several moments going viral as royal followers watched closely. Take a look at some of his expressions below.
This out-of-context grimace at a passing royal:
A big grin for his aunt, Anne, Princess Royal:
Possible side-eye at brother Prince William?
Sharing a laugh with Princess Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank:
A serious moment during the ceremony:
This "Jim from The Office" moment as he exited Westminster Abbey:
A cheeky moment with religious leaders:
And finally, a big smile as he got into a black BMW after the ceremony, to head home to Los Angeles for son Archie's 4th birthday:
ET spoke with royal expert Eloise Parker ahead of the May 6 ceremony, who shared some insight on what would likely go down between Harry and Charles during the coronation and it wasn't too far off from what viewers saw Saturday.
"I fully expect Prince Harry to be very much on the sidelines during this ceremony," Parker shared. "This ceremony is all about King Charles III and the Queen Consort, so I would expect even the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, will also be at the sidelines for this [event]."
It was recently revealed that Harry would be attending the coronation alone -- while his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children -- Archie, who turns 4 on Saturday, and Lilibet, 1 -- will remain at home in California.
"[There was] some surprise that Harry is going alone, [but] not so much when you realize that it's his son, Archie's, birthday the very same day," Parker explained. "So Meghan is in fact going to be staying home in California to celebrate that birthday, which is perhaps quite convenient given the tensions between the two families right now."
A source told ET that Harry arrived in the U.K. on Friday morning, and was put up at his and Meghan's former home, Frogmore Cottage. He is expected to depart on Saturday following the coronation festivities. Meanwhile, ET has learned that Archie’s birthday celebration will be a small gathering with friends and family in Montecito.
While Harry attended solo -- and stayed out of the spotlight, for the most part --- Parker said it is "impossible to believe there's not gonna be some amount of tension, given just how intimate Harry's revelations were for the entire family in his book, Spare."
"I think this is the first time they're gonna be in person since the launch of that book," Parker added, noting that most of the attention will be on Charles on Saturday.
"There's going to be thousands of people around, all needing attention, Charles is gonna be very much at the center of that, so hopefully for Harry that's gonna take the emphasis off him," Parker shared. "I think most people are hoping that the father-son relationship will heal over time. Unfortunately, I just don't think the coronation is gonna be the event for that to happen."
"There's just gonna be too many people, too much pressure, and far too much going on," she said, adding that any eventual reconciliation is almost certainly going to come after the highly public royal event.
Although the actual anointment during the coronation ceremony was not broadcast publicly, plenty of special programming and footage from the ceremony is available to watch on CBS and Paramount+. Audiences will also be able to view coverage on CBS News, including the concert featuring Katy Perry and Lionel Richie on Sunday, May 7. Additionally, others can watch the coronation online on these streaming platforms.
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