Prince Archie's fourth birthday may fall on the same day as King Charles III's coronation, but Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are making sure their son's birthday doesn't go unnoticed and are reportedly planning a party that could 'upstage' the coronation celebrations.
- Prince Archie will turn four on May 6, the same day as his grandfather's coronation.
- To celebrate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are planning a birthday party so special it could reportedly upstage the elaborate celebrations planned for the coronation.
- In other royal news, how King Charles has still included Meghan in the coronation - despite the Duchess turning down ceremony invite.
As the royal family plan for the historic celebrations set to mark King Charles' Coronation on the May 6, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle are gearing up for another big royal event happening on the same day. Their son Prince Archie's fourth birthday.
While it has now been announced that Prince Harry will be attending the historic event at Westminster Abbey, he is set to quickly jet off home to be with Meghan Markle and their two young children to mark the special day in LA.
Speculation surrounding whether Archie and his sister Lilibet would be invited to Charles' coronation was ripe as Prince Harry negotiated the terms of his attendance. We now know that the siblings, as well as their mother, will remain at home in Montecito, California while Prince Harry makes a quick appearance in the UK.
On May 6, plans have reportedly been put in place for a birthday party celebrating young Archie to ensure he is the center of attention, at least in California, on the special day. In fact, one royal expert fears the birthday party could even "upstage" Charles' historic day.
Royal columnist Lee Cohen has speculated that Harry and Meghan could overshadow Charles' 'big moment' by releasing Archie's birthday announcement and official portrait just hours before the coronation is set to take place. As is tradition for royal households, the Sussexes release official photo portraits on each family member's birthday and have done so for their son's birthday every year since his birth.
Lee told Express.co.uk, "The Sussexes, who no longer have their royal platform, seem to relish any opportunity to attempt to upstage a royal occasion. It's not as if the Royal Family seek occasions to upstage the antics of the Sussexes, quite the opposite."
A source close to the Sussex family has revealed that Meghan's mom Doria Ragland will be at the party, as well as a bunch of Archie's preschool friends and even some celebrity connections are set to show their faces including chat show legend Oprah Winfrey, tennis star Serena Williams, and presenter Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi whose vow renewal Prince Harry and Meghan recently attended.
The celebration marks a change for Archie, whose first birthday was a simple family affair. Video from the couple's Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan showed Harry and Meghan joined by grandma Doria, while the birthday boy smiled in a yellow party hat. At the time, a source told People "They are celebrating as a family focused on Archie and being together. They'll have a smash cake and Zooms with family and friends. It's been beautiful weather, so perhaps a family stroll with the dogs."
