This Wednesday, April 12, it became known that Prince Harry will attend the coronation of his father King Charles III scheduled for next May 6. However, the Duke of Sussex will go alone, which surprised many as they expected Meghan Markle to attend the investiture of his father-in-law.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the information with a brief statement where they assured that they were “pleased” that Harry would attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Article summary
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6,” was the statement.
Why is Meghan not attending the coronation?
Amid controversy over Harry’s strained relationship with his family, Meghan has decided that she will not travel with her husband to the U.K. and instead will remain in California with her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
According to Omid Scobie, the biographer of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archie’s birthday “played a factor” in Meghan’s decision to stay home instead of attending the coronation of King Charles. It is worth noting that the coronation ceremony is set to take place on the same day that the little boy celebrates his fourth birthday.
“I understand that Archie’s fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a factor in the couple’s decision. Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.” the author wrote on Twitter.
I understand that Archie’s fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a factor in the couple’s decision. Expect it to be a fairly quick trip to the UK for Prince Harry, who will only be attending the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) April 12, 2023
Meghan not going to coronation
Despite what Scobie has said, other experts point out that Meghan’s absence is because she will not be on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, one of the alleged demands the Sussexes’ had made to go to the coronation.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and royal biographer, consulted by The Mirror, said that Meghan may have opted to skip the coronation to avoid embarrassment, as she and Harry have been banned from playing a prominent role in the ceremony.
“However pathetic when you have a team of helpers, Meghan can still use the excuse of Archie’s 4th birthday to avoid crossing the Atlantic to be ridiculed, by both the Royal Family and the Brits.
“Why should she bother. For a girl who makes a huge fuss about which table she has in a restaurant, it would be a terrible insult not to have one of the top seats at the Coronation ceremony”, she said.
On the other hand, American TV host Megyn Kelly noted that Meghan will not travel to the UK for fear of being “booed.”
Kelly responded on twitter to Dan Wootton, GB News anchor and UK commentator, who said: “So Meghan bottles it, leaving Prince Harry to attend the Coronation alone in order to avoid boos from angry Brits in the crowd.
While Kelly’s response was: “She could not face the thought of being publicly booed. Newsflash Duchess: we are already booing you whether you hear and see us or not.”
