The date of May 6 has been chosen for the coronation of Charles III in Westminster Abbey in London. 2,000 people are invited, including Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. In cold with the Windsor for months, the Sussex would have a number of requirements to meet before deigning to let know if they will attend the coronation or not. Lightning.
There were 2,000 guests invited to receive the precious sesame to attend the coronation of Charles III in Westminster Abbey in London. In 1953, 8,000 people attended the coronation of Elizabeth II. 70 years later, Charles III called for a more modern, shorter and less lavish coronation. The duration has been reduced and the number of guests as well. Many people were waiting for their invitation in their mailboxes, but they were bound to be disappointed. Despite their constant criticism of the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have still been invited to the historic event. An extended hand, which the couple in exile did not see fit to seize immediately. And for good reason. The Sussex would have a number of requirements to meet before confirming or not their arrival. If some seem reasonable, others, on the other hand, appear as unattainable. We take stock.
1- A summit of reconciliation
Before making his decision, Prince Harry would like to talk with his father Charles III and his brother, Prince William. Out of the question for the Duke of Sussex to relive and make his wife Meghan Markle, the icy reception received during their last stays in London. “Harry has been very clear and his position has not varied: he will not come if he thinks that the atmosphere will be as toxic as during the Platinum Jubilee and the Queen’s funeral,” explains sources close to the couple. During the promotion of his memoirs called Spare, Prince Harry said that “the ball was in their court”, to the attention of the royal family, the Duke of Sussex calling for reconciliation. But his many charges made throughout interviews against the Windsors have not helped to ease tensions. Worse, Charles III and Prince William would no longer speak to him, for fear that their exchanges would be disclosed in the public square. This summit of reconciliation seems to be very complex to implement…
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2 – Archie and Lilibet at the center of the discussions
While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry received their invitation card, or rather an email inviting them to the coronation of Charles III, their two children Archie and Lilibet, who now hold the titles of prince and princess, would not have been mentioned. From there to understand that they are not invited, there is only one step. A decision that does not please the Sussexes. Many voices say that they are “too young” to participate in such an event. But in private, Prince Harry does not hear it this way and fulminates: the children of Kate Middleton and Prince William, George, 9 years, Charlotte, 7 years and Louis, soon to be 5 years, have been invited to the coronation of Charles III.
If the argument holds for the little Lilibet, aged one year, their son Archie is finally only one year younger than Prince Louis. According to Tessa Dunlop, historian of the royal family, it would be “strange” that little Archie is not invited to the same title as his parents. And to recall that Prince Charles had himself been invited to the coronation of his mother. “If you look at the pictures of the coronation in 1953, who was very present, although briefly? Prince Charles. He was four years old,” she pointed out, adding, “Archie, who is turning four, is certainly not too young to attend the coronation. And if you want Meghan to be there, you have to invite her son. If nothing evolves, Prince Harry could finally decide to make an express return trip solo, without Meghan remaining at home with the children. This will not fail to annoy Charles III.
3 – A coronation… and a birthday
The date of the coronation on May 6 coincides with the 4 years of Prince Archie. If Meghan Markle and Prince Harry go to London, the little boy will be deprived of the presence of his parents for his birthday. In order not to make the little boy feel left out, the Sussexes would have expressly asked “that some sort of celebration or recognition be factored into the plans for the day to ensure that his fourth birthday is not lost on this momentous day” reports OK Magazine! A cheeky request that should remain a dead letter. Indeed, it is unlikely that Archie will be celebrated on the day of the coronation of Charles III. Nothing should steal the spotlight from the sovereign during this historic event. And especially not the Sussexes, who criticize the Institution as soon as they have the opportunity.
4 – The puzzle of the balcony
On the day of the coronation, everything will be done so that the Sussexes are not put in full light. Prince William would personally see to it. It is out of the question that the couple in exile attract all the spotlights towards them, which would then turn away from the king. Everyone is busy at Buckingham Palace to determine where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be placed if they deign to attend the event. No longer active members of the royal family, they should not be in the front row in Westminster Abbey, but several rows behind or even to the side. Following the Mexgit, they are also not invited to the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowd after the coronation. But Prince Harry would have asked to appear with his wife. A request that should not be accepted either. Only the active members of the tightened monarchy wanted by Charles III will be present. Like Prince Andrew, entangled for years in the Epstein affair and fallen into disgrace, they are clearly not welcome.
5 – Expelled from Frogmore Cottage, what is the next step?
Last February 28, the news had the effect of a bomb. Wounded by the explosive revelations of Prince Harry in his memoirs and his attacks against Camilla, a red line not to be crossed, Charles III has expressly asked his youngest son and his wife to leave Frogmore Cottage, their pied-Ã -terre in the United Kingdom. A decision that would have left the Sussexes “stunned”, according to their relatives. Reluctantly, Meghan Markle and Harry will therefore leave the property they had renovated at great expense after their wedding in May 2018. If they come to the coronation of Charles III, the couple would have expressed the wish to still be able to sleep there. Request granted. “Although they were asked to leave Frogmore, Harry and Meghan were informed that the property would be available to them if they decided to attend the coronation,” says the Daily Mail.
6 – The thorny issue of security
The last request demanded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is about protection. Very concerned about his safety, the Duke of Sussex has repeatedly requested armed police protection when he and his family return to the UK. “Harry has filed a lawsuit against the Home Office for its refusal to provide this protection and, in July 2022, the High Court ruled in favor of his request to bring part of his claim against the government” let our confreres from The Mirror know. The case could be brought before the High Court in early April, but it is not known whether the decision will be made in time.
It should be noted that Prince Harry himself has increased the threats to his security, revealing in his memoirs the number of Taliban killed when he was a soldier in the British army in Afghanistan. The latest news is that Prince Harry has been told that he will have to give 28 days’ notice if he intends to return to England so that his security demands can be considered by the Home Office. It is not won.
Photo credits: Agency / Bestimage