Why Is Meghan Markle Not Attending The King’s Coronation With Prince Harry?

One of the biggest questions surrounding King Charles III’s coronation has been answered. On April 12, it was confirmed that Prince Harry would return to the United Kingdom for the May 6 celebration. However, he’ll be going without Meghan Markle. “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6^th May,” a statement from the Palace read. “The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”

Meghan, who was in attendance at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June and her funeral in September, will be staying in California during Charles’ and Camila’s coronation, which is the same day as Archie’s fourth birthday. The couple was reportedly invited to attend, but Meghan has declined the invite to be with her kids. Archie and Lilibet, who was born in June 2021 and named after Queen Elizabeth, were last in the UK for the Platinum Jubilee. Though they were visiting for a happy occasion, things always haven’t been smooth sailing for Harry and his extended family.

Meghan and Harry stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020. The Palace was reportedly blindsided by this shift, and released their own statement, countering that the transition was in an early stage.

Since stepping back and moving to California, Meghan and Harry have been very vocal about their decision. They gave an explosive interview to Oprah in 2021, released a Netflix docuseries about their relationship in December 2022,, and Harry wrote a bombshell memoir that was released in early 2023.

In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote about the familial drama between his brother and his father. In an interview with ITV promoting the book, he expressed that the door was always open for them to discuss any issues. “The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they’re willing to sit down and talk about it,” he said in January.