Meghan Markle's Decision On King Charles' Coronation Invite Crystalizes Her Priorities
King Charles III's coronation has been years in the making, and on May 6, he'll be cemented in history as he's officially crowned king. And while Charles is sure to be eager about the big day, it hasn't come without bumps in the road. From musicians reportedly refusing to perform at the ceremony to the media frenzy surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's potential attendance, King Charles' upcoming coronation has had difficulties. And while all eyes are supposed to be on Charles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seemingly stolen the show.
When Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, it was evident the couple struggled to be part of the royal family. Of course, their shocking interview with Oprah detailing Meghan's mistreatment only put a bigger strain on their relationship with the monarchy, especially Charles, per Us Weekly. And Prince Harry's bombshell memoir, "Spare," didn't help either as it showed his relationship with his father was doomed from the start. With the distance growing between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royal family, specifically Charles, many wondered whether they would be invited to his coronation.
According to Vanity Fair, the couple did receive a save the date in March via email, but whether they would attend or not was still up in the air. However, with the coronation slowly approaching, it looks like we have an answer as to whether Prince Harry and Meghan will attend the event.
Meghan Markle will skip out on King Charles' coronation
Throughout her time in the royal family, and even after, Meghan Markle faced the majority of criticism from the general public. After the couple's departure from Britain in 2020, Meghan has only returned for special or rare occasions, with the most recent being the funeral for former Queen Elizabeth II, per Time. After the death of the queen, things began to be put in place for the coronation of her son, King Charles III. With this being such a monumental occasion, many assumed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would attend, but that's not the case. While Harry will be there supporting his father in the upcoming ceremony, Meghan has opted to stay in California, per the Daily Mail.
According to the outlet, Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming Prince Harry's attendance and briefly explained why Meghan would be missing from the coronation. The statement read, "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet." While there's plenty of speculation surrounding Meghan's absence, one prominent reason she may be missing out on the big day is due to Prince Archie's birthday, which lands on the coronation date, per People. Although it's unclear who made the final call to have Meghan absent from the ceremony, it's clear her priority is on her kids.
Markle's delayed response to the coronation invitation slowed planning
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's response to King Charles III's coronation invitation has been made clear as Meghan will sit out on the special day, per Page Six. There were sure to be many reasons behind the decision, including that the birthday of their son, Prince Archie, happens to land on the day of the coronation. A source told Page Six, "There was no way that Meghan was going to miss her son's birthday." Still, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex received the invitation to King Charles' big day in early March, and for the royal family, it would have been nice to know the decision earlier.
According to The Mirror, Harry and Meghan's late response has caused delays for the upcoming coronation. The former royals were supposed to RSVP by April 3rd but reportedly didn't meet that cut-off. Organizers were unable to plan the way they wanted to, and the seating chart was affected by the delayed response. An insider told the outlet, "There is a plan, which is supposed to be the blueprint of how the day should operate, but things are changing daily which is causing massive headaches." A big part of those operations is the seating chart. Not knowing whether Harry and Meghan would attend was sure to be causing a big headache, but now that it's confirmed only the Duke of Sussex will be present at the ceremony without the rest of his family, hopefully, it makes things a lot easier.