Royal Family “Fully Expecting” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Attendance at the Coronation

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published 12 February 2023

Look, there’s not a family out there that doesn’t have tension—the only difference is, your family drama isn’t published inside the 400-plus pages of a bestselling book, streamed on Netflix, and watched live at the Coronation in three months’ time. Not so for the royal family, whose very private familial rift is playing out very publicly, the apex of which could be at King Charles’ Coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. Charles has waited over 74 years for this moment. Will it be overshadowed by a family feud?

According to The Daily Mail, the family is “fully expecting” both Harry and Meghan to be at the Coronation, which will see Charles and wife Camilla, Queen Consort crowned side-by-side at the same location of the funeral of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, in 1997. Harry and Meghan both attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last June, as well as her funeral in September—that said, though, at the time there were only rumors about a book deal and a Netflix series, and now they’re out, and more than damaging.

The allegations from Harry’s book Spare have many relatives “splitting feathers,” according to The Daily Mail, and “the family is now bracing themselves for a visit from their Montecito relatives.”

“Members of the family have told me that both Harry and Meghan will definitely come,” a source tells the outlet. “They fully expect that.”

Marie Claire reported yesterday that Harry and Meghan haven’t even been invited to the Coronation yet, but The Daily Mail reports that invites are expected to be sent out imminently. It will then be up to Harry and Meghan what they want to do, which is further complicated by the fact that May 6 is also the fourth birthday of their son, Archie. Because of this, government advisers are putting plans in place in case Harry decides to attend the event alone in a 48-hour whirlwind trip, The Daily Mail reports. “From what I know of Harry and Meghan, they will both want to spend some time with their son on his birthday,” a source says.

And, while “any meeting is likely to be a civil affair,” the outlet reports, a source says “Harry revealed details of private conversations, so everyone is on edge. You ask about the Sussexes and everyone immediately changes the subject. They are splitting feathers but not minded to provide any fuel for the fire.”

And, though Harry and Meghan are apparently expected to attend, they will not have an official role in the ceremony, nor will they be invited to appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace afterwards.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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