Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “can expect to be treated like Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie” if they decide to attend King Charles’ coronation, an expert claims.
The official coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, where His Majesty will eschew royal robes in favor of military attire to update the ceremony.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped down as senior royals in January 2020 and now reside in Montecito, California, have yet to confirm whether they will attend Charles’ coronation in three months’ time.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may have a similar role to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in the proceedings.
Describing how they would be less visible, she explained: “Now that they are no longer royal employees, the Sussexes can expect to be treated in the same way as Harry’s cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who attend important family celebrations, but do not stand in the limelight and do not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle introduced the Thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral last June
“It has already been agreed that only working royals will appear on the balcony during the coronation and sources have said the focus will be on King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate.”
The expert noted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be asked to take a similar approach as they did for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last June.
Although Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were in the UK to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty on the throne, Katie noted that they did not ride in the carriage procession during the Trooping the Color – an activity they were taking part in when they went to the married for the first time.
Instead, Meghan stayed out of the spotlight and was pictured spending time with Savannah Phillips and Mike and Zara Tindall’s daughter Mia from a balcony at Horse Guards Parade.
The expert also stressed that while the couple attended Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, they did not sit in the front row with the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Similarly, the couple, who unleashed new bombshells on the Royal Family with the release of their Netflix documentary in December, are not to King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and the Wales family in the Royal Box for the Party at the Palace concert came.
Elsewhere in the Vanity Fair story, the pundit said the royal was “determined” for Meghan and Harry to attend the coronation as he “wants to move on.”
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at the Queen’s funeral at Westminister Abbey on September 19, 2022
The royal family – including Meghan Markle and Prince Harry – were pictured on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in June 2018. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not appear on the balcony when they attend King Charles’ coronation, an expert has claimed
A palace source said: “Whatever has been said and done, Harry is still his son and he loves him. Nor can he imagine being crowned, the most important moment of his life, without his two sons witnessing it.’
Prince Harry could be whisked in and out of the UK for a 48-hour appearance at King Charles’ coronation without his wife Meghan, sources said earlier this week.
A work theory dubbed “Harry in a hurry” has it that Meghan will stay behind in California to celebrate Archie’s fourth birthday, while Harry makes a brief appearance at the event on May 6.
It was reported yesterday that both Harry and Meghan would be invited to the ceremony – but it remains unclear if they will accept after Harry’s all-encompassing memoir on royal power struggles.
King Charles pictured arriving at the University of East London. A member of the public called out to the monarch, “Please bring Harry back!”
The report comes after last week’s Mail on Sunday revealed that the Archbishop of Canterbury had been drawn into discussions about inviting the couple to the 90-minute service.
It was suggested that if they received a prominent bench and an assurance that Harry would not lose his royal titles, they could accept the invitation.
Earlier today, King Charles brushed aside any mention of the Duke of Sussex upon his arrival at the University of East London.
The 73-year-old monarch was greeted with cheers as he stepped out of his black Rolls Royce at the grounds this afternoon.
As the king greeted the members of the institution who were standing in front of the building, a student was heard shouting in the crowd, “Please bring Harry back!”
At first, the monarch did not hear what the member of the public was saying and asked a member of his team for clarification. An aide told him, ‘Harry, your son.’
Seemingly unfazed by the mention of the Duke of Sussex – who had unleashed new bombshells on the royal family last month with his memoir Spare – King chuckled and said, “Oh.”
The King visited the University of East London to mark the institution’s 125th anniversary.
During her tour of the university, King Charles also opened her new frontline medical teaching center.