4 Reasons Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Could Turn Down Invite to King Charles’ Coronation
It’s been confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been invited to King Charles’ coronation. What hasn’t been confirmed yet is if the duke and duchess will actually attend as the pair’s spokesperson said: “The duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether the duke and duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
While we await their decision, here are four reasons the Sussexes could decline to attend the biggest royal event in decades.
Meghan and Harry’s eviction from Frogmore
News broke on March 1 that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been evicted from the Frogmore Cottage property they rented in Windsor, England.
According to reports, the king had begun the eviction process just one day after Harry’s memoir Spare hit bookstore shelves in an “uncompromising action against his loose-lipped son and wife Meghan.”
Following the news, the pair stepped out for a dinner date. They were all smiles trying to show that they weren’t bothered about being asked to vacate a place they rarely occupy. But Frogmore was the only residence they had in the U.K., used as their base anytime they wanted to visit. So there could be some bad blood over the home Queen Elizabeth gifted them being taken away. If that’s the case, Meghan and Harry may not want to go to the coronation. Or, they may decide to play games with the royals and not respond at all to the invite.
The issue of security
Prince Harry has repeatedly insisted that he and his family need security when they are in the U.K. However, his case has not yet gone before the High Court. There’s no guarantee that it will be heard or there will be a ruling before the coronation takes place.
And following the release of Spare, it’s believed that security could be even more of an issue for Harry and his family. As royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams noted: “Harry’s concerns over security, which will not be helped by his revelations about the number of Taliban insurgents he personally killed, may also be a factor as he has a case pending against the Home Office on this issue.”
Reception from family and the British public
Another reason the Sussexes may decide not to show up to the coronation? The reception they could get not only from Harry’s relatives but also from the British public.
We all remember that members of the Firm weren’t exactly lining up to speak to Harry and Meghan the last couple of times they were in England. In fact, the only family seen making small talk with the couple were Princess Anne’s children, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, as the Sussexes left the service of thanksgiving for the queen in June.
Immediately following that brief chat, no one could ignore the booing as Harry and Meghan walked down the stairs of St. Paul’s Cathedral. And that was before the Sussexes’ Netflix docuseries and Harry’s tell-all book were released. So this time there’s a strong possibility that no one will speak to them and the boos from the crowd will be much louder.
Their son Archie’s birthday
King Charles’ coronation will take place on May 6, which is also Meghan and Harry’s son Archie’s 4th birthday. Therefore, the date could be used as an excuse for at least for the duchess to get out of going if Harry decides to travel to England. Meghan could opt to stay behind in California and has a party for Archie.
That would also tie into their eviction from Frogmore as the Sussexes were in England for Lilibet’s birthday during queen’s jubilee and had a party for her at the home but now they longer have their own residence to celebrate at.
