'Overwhelmed' Meghan Fears Palace 'Is Only Fighting For Prince Harry' To Attend The Coronation
"Meghan is upset and overwhelmed," Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital. "It's not that Meghan feels excluded with the planning," she asserted. "Meghan feels like the palace is only fighting for Prince Harry to attend and they don’t care whether she shows up or not. And that does not sit well with her. Rejection is one of Meghan's greatest insecurities. She does not want to be booed or humiliated on a global scale, yet she understands that her brand stateside increases in value with her proximity to the royal family."
The Suits actress and her spouse have faced intense pressure from the public after their six-part Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and Harry's tell-all memoir Spare. In January, Harry discussed his new book and his family with ITV's Tom Bradby. The Duke of Sussex did not confirm if he would accept an invitation to his father's coronation.
"There's a lot that can happen between now and then," Prince Harry admitted. "But the door is always open. The ball is in their court…There's a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they're willing to sit down and talk about it."
Allegedly, Scoffield points out, the 38-year-old wants "to secure a meeting" with his father, the king and his brother, Prince William. She thinks Harry doesn't want to "feel iced out throughout the event." However, the To Di For Daily host claims the palace staff has told the Duke that Charles "is too busy" to meet up.
"If Harry does attend, I expect that he will feel a sense of loneliness," Schofield guessed. Several royal experts believe that if the couple does return to the U.K., they won't be received kindly. The Duke and Duchess may want to think twice about their travel plans for the coronation.
"It's increasingly beginning to look as if Harry and Meghan might well opt out of the coronation," Christopher Andersen, author of The King, informed Fox News Digital. "There are genuine security concerns, to be sure, and then there is the prospect of the Sussexes being roundly booed. Harry and Megan are still licking their wounds over having been sidelined during the queen's funeral [in September]. It's highly doubtful that they would be willing to face the prospect of that sort of public humiliation again, particularly on [their son] Archie's birthday."
"The fracture has been seismic, particularly in light of Harry's scathing attacks on his brother in Spare," Andersen continued. "Harry and Meghan can't possibly imagine that William and [his wife] Kate [Middleton] will greet him with open arms, or at this point even pretend to regard the Sussexes with anything other than chilly disdain."
Despite claims that Meghan was being ignored, Andersen doesn't believe the former American actress will stay behind in California (their home now!). "Would Harry attend alone? Not likely, in light of Archie's birthday – and the fact that Harry and Meghan have to put up a united front," he added. "Anything less than that would lead to speculation that perhaps Harry is having second thoughts about turning his back on the monarchy."
Schofield, however, maintains that Harry will attend his father's big day alone while the duchess stays home with their two young children. That way, they can avoid a potential media frenzy "I think there is a possibility that Harry could do a quick turnaround for the coronation alone," Schofield explained. "He did say during the Netflix documentary that he missed aspects of royal life and I believe traditions are one of them. Based on his military experience, duty is also important to him and there is a sense that it is his duty to attend as the son of the sovereign."
"He felt comfortable enough to attend Prince Philip's initial funeral service alone," Schofield continued. "Harry reveals in Spare that Prince William and their father attempted to confront him about his interview with Oprah Winfrey [in 2021] at that time. While 'Willy' desperately pleaded with his brother that he loves him... Harry seemed to reject the outreach."
So, if the Sussexes refuse to attend, they'll be accused of "snubbing" the royal family. But if the couple do join the coronation, they may be booed or accused of being hypocrites. "They are being invited and have been encouraged to respond in a timely manner," royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "If they do attend, they must 'stick to the plan.' This is considered both good manners and, of course, for planning purposes."
"Given the date falls on Archie’s 4th birthday, Meghan has the perfect out," Fordwich suggested. "Harry is likely to be in a hurry and beyond harried…If they decline, they will look petty. If they accept, they are then open to charges of hypocrisy and will be questioned regarding the legitimacy of their claims. Worse yet, if one or both of them attend neither the king nor the royals or even security will be able to control the potential negative sentiment expressed by the British public."
"It's a lose-lose situation for them," Fordwich concluded. "Being a laughingstock is not what Meghan nor Harry set out to accomplish." In his interview with Bradby, Harry admitted that he misses his father and brother. The Duke pointed out that he longs for "a family, not an institution."