The latest news on the ongoing tensions within the royal family are that Prince Harry will indeed attend King Charles’ coronation on May 6. But Harry’s wife Meghan Markle and their son Prince Archie will not be there.
For the past weeks, it was unclear whether or not Harry would make an appearance at his father’s coronation, but with the recent confirmation, it will mark his first public appearance with the royal family since the release of his bombshell memoir, Spare.
With Harry in attendance, Charles will have both of his sons in person to witness his crowning, which he is very “pleased” about, per People.
But Meghan’s decision to remain in the States has received mixed reactions; some praise her for staying true to her stance on distancing from the royal family, while others have criticized her for “snubbing” her in-laws.
A source close to the family told People, “At this point, it’s become so personal. Maybe what they wanted wasn’t achieved, but at the end of the day, [Harry is] going there to support his dad.”
“Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law,” the source added, “but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support. There’s always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?”
In addition to not wanting to attend because of unresolved issues, the royal couple’s son’s birthday also falls on the same day as the coronation, giving her a more definitive excuse for her absence.
“It’s an elegant solution,” Sally Bedell Smith, royal biographer, shared with People regarding Prince Archie’s birthday, saying the occasion “gave them a reasonable out for Meghan not to come.”
But Markle’s absence at the coronation may not end there. Rob Jobson, author of the upcoming book Our King: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, talked to The Sun, saying that Prince Harry’s decision to attend is “the most pragmatic move” in this situation and that Harry would “deeply regret it if he didn’t attend the biggest day of his father’s life.”
As for Meghan, Jobson says, “But the fact [Meghan] is not attending means it is now highly unlikely we will ever see her attend an official or Palace event again — apart from maybe the King’s funeral.”
While Harry will be at Westminster Abbey on May 6, it is still unclear whether he will participate in any of the other royal activities, including the traditional appearance on Buckingham Palace’s balcony, which both he and Meghan were restricted from doing during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee last year, per BBC.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65255135
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/22022349/meghan-markle-king-charles-coronation-wedding/
