The Duchess of Sussex’s decision not to attend the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla was influenced by potential media scrutiny, it has been claimed.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that the Duke of Sussex will attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey without his wife or children, who will remain in California.
The King was said to be “very disappointed” that Meghan Markle and his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will not be present at his coronation on Saturday 6 May.
However, it is understood that he is “happy” that Prince Harry will be there, and he “understands the situation” regarding Meghan’s absence.
A source close to the Sussexes has claimed that Meghan “wants to be there to support” the King, but “the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support” from the media and the public.
People quoted the source as saying: “There’s always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?”
It comes after both Harry and Meghan have spoken out about the invasion of their privacy by the tabloid press in their 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan.
In the series, Meghan described being “fed to the wolves” in reference to the tabloid media’s treatment of her since marrying the duke in 2018.
The couple also alleged that the palace briefed against them to distract the media and public from less favourable coverage of other royals, with Harry accusing the family of “leaking” and “planting” negative stories about Meghan.
The decision for Meghan to remain at home during the coronation – which falls on the same day as Prince Archie’s birthday – became “so personal”, another source told People.
“Maybe what they wanted wasn’t achieved, but at the end of the day, he’s going there to support his dad.”
It comes after reports said Harry held “peace talks” with his father before confirming his presence at the coronation.
A friend of the couple told The Telegraph that there had been “positive conversations” between the pair, but these did not extend to Harry and Prince William’s relationship, which remains strained.
This week, it emerged that a family portrait of the royals featuring the Sussexes is included in the official souvenir programme for the coronation.
The photograph, taken to mark Charles’s 70th birthday in 2018, shows Charles and Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall; William and Kate Middleton, previously the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with their three children; and Harry and Meghan altogether.
The inclusion of the portrait has been seen by some as an “olive branch” to the Sussexes amid their rift with the family.
Although Harry will be present at the coronation, he will likely not make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
It was reported that only working members of the royal family will appear on the balcony, with the King having chosen 15 of his “closest and most loyal family members”.
This means Harry and the Duke of York are both not expected to stand on the balcony.
