After months of uncertainty around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s attendance at King Charles’ coronation on May 6th, it was *finally* confirmed on Wednesday, April 12th that Prince Harry, 38, will be going to the U.K. and attending his father’s big day alone, leaving his wife and two children, Prince Archie, who turns four on the same day as the coronation, and Princess Lilibet, who will turn two in June, back home in Montecito, California. As per their spokesperson: “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 this isn’t exactly what we expected, we’re pleased to finally have an answer! And we bet the palace is too, as an insider previously told Ok! that: “The palace are trying to wrap up negotiations as quickly as possible because they can’t go right up to the wire. It could lead to chaos. It could very well be that it ends in stalemate, and they won’t attend. But the palace is doing everything in its power to not let that happen.”
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Missed Coronation RSVP Deadline
The confirmation that Prince Harry will be attending the coronation alone (which Princess Diana's former butler actually predicted over a month ago!) comes just a few days after it was revealed that he and Meghan missed the deadline to RSVP, which only added to the confusion around their attendance. According to reports, a royal insider said the deadline was April 3rd, and while many guests excitedly sent their replies as fast as they could (we would do the same!) Harry and Meghan's reply was nowhere to be seen!
We didn’t think Harry missing the RSVP deadline would have been a problem though, as despite the royal family drama, sources have claimed that King Charles really does want his son at the big day! And according to People, a friend said that Prince Harry wanted to be at the service to support his father at this important moment in his life.
Some people initially thought their failure to RSVP could have been taken as a not-so-subtle hint that they would not be attending, having already been made aware that they would not be involved in the coronation procession (according to leaked plans) and, according to reports, not have a spot on the Buckingham Palace balcony as per their previous demands.
The Daily Express reported last month that Harry and Meghan were "refusing to accept the invitation to the historic event until their requests are agreed to," so perhaps that’s why it took them so long to reply. Could the fact that their alleged demands were not met be the *real* reason the former Suits actress is staying put in California?
The Real Reason Meghan Isn't Attending The Coronation
According to royal journalist, and close friend of the Sussexes, Omid Scobie, Archie's birthday "played a factor in the couple's decision" regarding the coronation. Although Prince Harry is reportedly happy to support his father on the big day, Scobie predicted it would be a "fairly quick trip" to the U.K. and he will only attend the ceremony itself, which is likely to last a few hours.
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
However, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and royal biographer Ingrid Seward thought Archie's birthday was just an excuse, as the Duchess may have wanted to skip the event to avoid embarrassment. Seward told the Mirror not being included was "more than [Meghan] could bear," referencing the fact that she and Harry wouldn’t have an official role in the day, or be included on the Buckingham Palace balcony due to not being working royals.
"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," she said. "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." Ouch!
Who Will Appear On The Balcony At The Coronation?
According to another source who spoke to the Mirror, Harry and Meghan's previous demands to be included on the Buckingham Palace balcony were said to be "wide of the mark," as a spot on the balcony is only reserved for working members of the royal family, hence why they didn’t appear on it during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. This means that neither Prince Harry, who will now be attending alone, nor Prince Andrew, who was fired as a working royal due to the sexual assault lawsuit against him by Virginia Giuffre and his alleged friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, are expected to appear.
"The King has been very clear who he wants to represent the monarchy," an insider told the Mirror. "There is little room for sentiment, this is a State occasion, not a family occasion and it is right that only the working members of the family are there at the big public moment," they added.
At the time of writing, only 15 people are expected to appear on the balcony, and they include King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, Princess Anne, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
