Prince Harry Skipping the Coronation "Would Never Be Forgotten"

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle — (Image credit: Getty)

Soooo, have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle RSVPd to the Coronation yet, or...?

With under a month to go until the King's big day, apparently nobody knows whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be making the trip over from California to attend—despite having confirmed that they had been invited over a month ago.

But for one royal expert, if Harry truly wants the filial reconciliation he has said he wants, he has no choice but to be seen in Westminster Abbey on May 6.

"If Harry doesn't come it will never be forgotten. It's the ultimate snub," author Tom Quinn told the Express. "You're not coming to your father's coronation, the King's coronation. There's no going back from that."

Though Quinn admits there are understandable reasons for the Sussexes not to attend, he doesn't think these will cut it with the Royal Family.

"They might be able to come up with a plausible reason such as they are worried about security or the kids," he said.

"But, however brilliant the PR, there are some things you can never sell and they are not able to sell that."

For Quinn, whether or not the Sussexes come to the coronation, their shadow will be hanging over the day, as people keep their royal feud in mind.

"What's supposed to be the focus—the coronation and telling the world that another generation has come along and the Royal Family is still there—is going to be overshadowed by this spat with Harry and Meghan," the author claimed.

The Sussexes have had a difficult relationship with the Royal Family at large since they stepped down from their roles as senior royals, moved to California, and made a number of shocking revelations in various media projects. Prince Harry's memoir Spare even reportedly drove King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

In this context, it's not hard to see why Quinn would see the coronation as the last test for their family relationships.

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.