Author Deepak Chopra has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “struggling right now” amidst their rift with the British royal family.
The Indian-American mindfulness expert, who appeared on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s holiday special podcast back in 2020, recently gave insight into the Sussexes’ current state of mind as Harry prepares to attend King Charles III’s coronation next month.
While speaking to The Daily Mail at a red carpet event in London, Chopra said about his work with the royal couple: “I enjoyed the podcast and interacted with them. It has been periodic – they’re struggling right now.”
“I hope they get through it light-hearted,” he said. “I think there’s too much drama around them. People should mind their own business.”
On 12 April, Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry will attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May. However, his wife Meghan will stay at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The best-selling author also shared some words of wisdom for Harry ahead of his first meeting with the royal family since the release of his tell-all memoir, Spare.
“My advice is to ignore it because if you react you’ll just aggravate the situation,” Chopra said. “If you ignore it, people can’t say anything, then they’ll stop.”
In December 2020, Chopra appeared on the Duke and Duchess’s first podcast episode as part of their Archewell Audio production company’s exclusive deal with Spotify. The holiday special – which featured Sir Elton John, professor Brené Brown, and actor James Corden – brought together many high-profile contributors to mark the end of a challenging year.
To celebrate Meghan’s 40th birthday in 2021, Chopra also took part in her 40x40 Compassion In Action initiative, which aimed to help women return to work after the pandemic.
“To celebrate the 40th birthday of my friend Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, I’m donating 40 minutes of mentorship to a woman re-entering the workforce,” he said at the time.
Prince Harry’s confirmation at the King’s coronation comes after months of speculation over whether he would attend the ceremony.
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May,” the Palace said in a statement on Wednesday. “The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
His attendance marks his first meeting with his father and brother, the Prince of Wales, after making several bombshell claims about the royal family in Spare, which hit bookshelves last January. The couple also laid bare their grievances with the royal family in the six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
It was reported that Harry was seeking an “apology” from Charles and Prince William before he made any commitment to the ceremony. Ahead of the publication of his memoir, Harry said in an interview that the “door is always open” for reconciliation.
Following the announcement, a source told The Sun that the King is “happy” that Prince Harry will travel to the UK to be at the coronation but is “very disappointed” that his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren won’t attend. “The King is happy that Harry, his son, who he calls his ‘darling boy’, will be at the Abbey. He wanted him there,” they said. “It is sad, he is very disappointed that he won’t see Meghan or his grandchildren but understands the situation.”
However, royal author Omid Scobie said that Prince Archie’s fourth birthday was a “factor in the couple’s decision” to have Meghan remain in California. “I understand that Archie’s fourth birthday (also on 6 May) played a factor in the couple’s decision,” he tweeted. “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.”
King Charles III will be crowned during a “slimmed-down” coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey next month. Some 2,000 guests are expected to be in attendance, a stark contrast to the 8,000 guests present at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. The new monarch will appear on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony to wave at crowds on the day of his coronation, but it’s been reported that only working royals will appear alongside him. This means that Prince Harry, who stepped down from his role as a senior working royal in 2020, will not be present on the balcony.
