King Charles’ “only choice is to freeze Harry out” ahead of his upcoming coronation, one royal historian has claimed.
Andrew Lownie has said the King might have to turn to extreme actions to deal with the ongoing issues thrown up by Harry and Meghan's involvement in the coronation on May 6.
The author of the 2021 book Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor has offered his opinion on the reportedly on-running dispute between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the royal family over their attendance to the coronation this May.
The Sussexes have been invited, and went as far to even confirm this, but have not yet said they will be going.
Meanwhile, there are concerns internally that they may throw the entire event into chaos.
Mr Lownie has argued that the only solution is for the royal family to cut Harry and Meghan out and distance themselves from the couple.
This, he said, would let the wounds heal properly, following Harry’s bombshell memoirs, Spare, released earlier this year.
He said Charles and the other senior royals were caught between a "rock and a hard place ... damned if they do, damned if they don't" when it came to dealing with the Sussexes'.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Lownie said: "Tensions need to be de-escalated. The only solution will be freezing the Sussexes out."
But he was certain that the Windsors would navigate the crisis, comparing it to some of the Firm's other major scandals that rocked the corridors of royal power.
The author added: "There have been low points in Royal history before and it has survived – the Abdication, the 1992 ‘annus horribilis’, the Panorama interview (with Princess Diana) but here are senior members of the Royal Family trying to destroy (or they would say reform) the institution itself.
"Given the transition from the Queen to Charles was always going to be difficult this is a very dangerous point in Royal history which could be catastrophic if not handled properly."
The royals were said to have been left furious at the contents of Spare as the best-seller lined up serious allegations against senior royals.
Prince William was said to have got into a fight with Harry and Camilla was said to have been cold towards Harry as he was never going to be king.
But more recently, there has been a reported dispute over Harry and Meghan, and their children's, involvement in the coronation.
The Times recently reported that whilst all of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children were to be involved, Harry and Meghan’s hadn’t been invited yet.
This made things more complicated because a Palace insider told The Mirror that the inclusion of Archie and Lilibet at the official Coronation at Westminster Abbey had previously “never been a bone of contention” because small children were not expected to attend such an event “due to restlessness and tantrums”.
“However, what the Sussexes' are pushing for is for them to be included with the rest of the family at the Palace later that day.
"It's also Prince Archie's birthday on Coronation day so they would like some kind of nod to that at a lunch or drinks reception. Even if it's just a happy birthday mention."
They added that Harry and Meghan’s failure to officially accept their invitation until their demands were met could plunge the entire event into chaos.
The source said: "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 a stalemate, and they won't attend. But the Palace is doing everything in its power to not let that happen.”
