Prince Harry will be the only member of the royal family to go to the coronation of King George VI in London next month. Meghan Markle and their children, Archie and Lilibet, will stay in California.
In a statement made today, Buckingham Palace revealed the shocking news, saying they are “pleased to confirm” that the Duke of Sussex will get married on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
The Duchess, on the other hand, will be at their home in Montecito to celebrate the birthdays of their children, Lilibet, 1, and Archie, 4.
Omid Scobie, who knew both of them, said that celebrating Archie’s birthday “had something to do with” the couple’s decision. He also said that Harry’s trip to the UK would be “fairly quick.” The Duke has chosen to only take part in the rite itself, which will take many hours.
A royal watcher told MailOnline that Charles will be happy about the comment, which was made just over three weeks before the event. The rest of Kate’s family is probably glad Meghan isn’t coming because it would have been so weird for her.
Harry and Meghan had missed the RSVP deadline, but they were still thinking about whether or not to come to the wedding.
It is thought that the doubt about how the Sussexes would show up made it impossible for royal officials to accept seating plans, transportation, and security.
Harry’s strained relationship with the Royal Family was shown in his Netflix documentary and book Spare. Next month, he will be at the coronation of his father Charles and grandmother the Queen Consort.
Months of confusion about whether or not the couple would attend the King’s big day have finally been put to rest, but Meghan will surely be accused of snubbing the monarch and the royal family.
A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said in a statement made at 3 p.m. today, “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May.” The Duchess of Sussex will go to California to stay with Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie.
Harry and Meghan’s charity, Archewell, told the Press Association that the Duke would be there in a nearly identical statement.
A spokesman said that the Duke of Sussex will be at the coronation event at Westminster Abbey on May 6. The Duchess of Sussex will go to California to stay with Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie.
Charles will be crowned after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for 70 years and died in September. The event will be full of pomp and tradition that goes back 1,000 years.
Mr. Scobie, a close friend of the Sussexes, wrote that Harry would be there and then said, “I hear that Archie’s fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a part in the couple’s decision.”
Prince Harry will go to the UK just to take part in the crowning event at Westminster Abbey. He is not expected to stay there for very long.
Chris Ship, the royal reporter for ITV News, said, “Given everything that has been said or suggested in six Netflix episodes and one book, this is a big change.”
With Harry’s visit by himself, the Royal Family will feel less stressed, and there will be less chances for awkward family photos.
The Duke’s decision to share family secrets in his best-selling book caused a rift in the Royal Family, but Harry has chosen to go to the event anyway.
Tensions were already high between Harry and his family when he and his wife moved to North America in 2020, but they got worse when details of private conversations with his father and his brother, Prince William, were made public.