Prince Harry could be brought in and out of Britain for a 48-hour appearance at King Charles Coronation without wife Meghan, sources said last night.

One working theory, dubbed “Harry is in a hurry,” is that Meghan will stay California to celebrate Archie’s fourth birthday, with Harry flying in for a brief appearance at the event on May 6.

It was reported yesterday that both Harry and Meghan would be invited to the ceremony, but it remains unclear whether they will accept due to Harry’s memories of the royal feud.

The report follows revelations in the Mail on Sunday last week that the Archbishop of Canterbury was embroiled in a row over inviting the couple to the 90-minute service.

It was suggested that they might accept the invitation if they were given a prominent bench and Harry promised not to lose his royal title.

The monarch has whittled down the guest list to just over 2,000 people, down from the 8,000 who attended Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.

Sources close to the organizers say Charles’ desire for a shortened and “diverse” Coronation has proved a nightmare for organizers who are racing against time to complete preparations.

The monarch has whittled down the guest list to just over 2,000 people, down from the 8,000 who attended Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.

However, he also cut organizational time in half from the 16 months it took to prepare for his mother’s service.

Government sources say the next few weeks will be a “crucial time” for decisions on how many peers, politicians, diplomats and bishops will be invited. Seventy years ago, they almost all made the cut.

But the king was informed that the list of 8,000 was only achievable because a number of temporary structures had been added to the abbey.

Doing it again would damage the 900-year-old building and take too much time.

The alternative of using the much larger St Paul’s Cathedral would have been both a break with tradition and an unwelcome reminder of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana.

Some experts have suggested that nearby Westminster Hall could be used as an “overflow venue”, as at some weddings, when guests watch screens.

A source said that “cutting down the guest list so radically and making it more diverse turned out to be a total nightmare.”

In 1953, the invite list included every member of the hereditary aristocracy – now 807 – plus every member of the Privy Council – a total of 741 – and every bishop – now more than 100 – as well as heads of state and ambassadors from around the world . Seventy years ago, everyone brought their spouses.

In addition to bishops, to meet the requirement of “diversity”, it would be necessary to find a place for representatives of other faiths.

One planner said: “We need Wembley Stadium, not Westminster Abbey.”

A source said: “It would have made more sense to have the Coronation in the autumn… but Charles was very keen on it.”