Staying home. As expected, Meghan Markle opted not to attend father-in-law King Charles III’s coronation with husband Prince Harry on Saturday, May 6.
Prince Harry, 38, was first spotted making his way to the ceremony alongside cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, respectively. Once inside the hall, Harry took his place behind the couples solo and smiled as he nodded to some people in attendance.
Us Weekly confirmed in March that the 74-year-old monarch invited Meghan, 41, and Harry to the festivities. Weeks later, the palace announced that the Duchess of Sussex — who was last in the U.K. for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022 — wasn’t making the trip from California.
“Charles is sad that Meghan will not be in attendance. Charles was hoping the coronation would be a chance to better connect and maintain healing between them,” a source exclusively told Us in April.
Another insider reiterated at the time that “Charles is sad” about Meghan’s decision but “is thrilled Harry will be in attendance.”
According to a third source, Meghan will spend the day with her and Harry’s son, Archie, who turned 4 on Saturday.
“As much as Meghan appreciates the invite to the coronation, she wouldn’t miss her son’s birthday for the world,” the source said. “Despite being the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan is a mom first. She feels very grateful to be included in such a special occasion by the royal family and is glad that Harry can go and show support on behalf of their family. But being the same day as Archie’s birthday, unfortunately, she’s just going to have to miss out on this one.”
Meghan and Harry, who also share daughter Lilibet, 23 months, have had a rocky relationship with his family for years, with the tension coming to a head when the couple opted to step back from their roles in The Firm in January 2020. Things escalated again in December 2022 upon the release of their Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, and the former military pilot’s book, Spare, in January.
“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then,” Harry teased during an interview with ITV in January about whether he’d go to his dad’s coronation. “But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”
While all eyes are on Harry’s interactions with his dad and brother Prince William this weekend, a fourth insider told Us that the plan is to keep things professional.
“Obviously, they are brothers first and emotions are always there,” the insider said last month. “But they know how to act in front of the cameras. They’ve been in front of them their whole life.”
Royal expert Tessa Dunlop told Us that the trip could be a “nightmare” for Harry without the support of Meghan, whom he married in 2018.
“I was watching the body language when he came out of St George’s Chapel when [Queen Elizabeth II] had finally been laid to rest on the last day of the funeral itself. He was helping Meghan into the car and he just wasn’t a man who was comfortable in his skin,” the Elizabeth & Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy author said. “And this time he’s coming over without the support of Meghan. Clearly he does lean on her very heavily. … That means he’s exposed effectively. He will be made to sit [farther from the royals] at best. So, he will have that feeling of demotion.”
While Harry is reportedly expected to leave the U.K. shortly after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday to get home for Archie’s birthday, the royal family will continue to celebrate Charles with the coronation concert on Sunday, May 7, and The Big Help out on Monday, May 8.
