The way Prince Harry and Meghan Markle RSVP’d to King Charles’ coronation invite shows their marriage is strong, royal commentators say
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to divide the responsibilities of attending King Charles’ coronation and being there for their son’s birthday is a reflection of their strength as a couple, royal commentators say.
Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace shared a statement with Insider confirming that the Duke of Sussex, 38, will be at Westminster Abbey for his father’s coronation.
The palace said it was “pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May.”
“The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” it added.
The news put an end to months of speculation on whether the couple would show up after their complicated relationship with the royals was put under the spotlight with the release of “Harry & Meghan” in December 2022 and the book “Spare” in January.
As Insider previously reported, the couple’s Netflix docuseries and Harry’s memoir contained several surprising details that confirmed long-held rumors of a rift between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and several members of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Queen Consort Camilla, and Charles.
But after the palace publicly announced Harry’s attendance and Meghan’s decision to stay in California for the coronation, which is taking place on the same day as Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, experts like Kristen Meinzer, a royal watcher, told Insider that, if anything, it goes to show how united a force the Sussexes are.
The Sussexes’ choice to divide familial and royal responsibilities reflects how they work as a united couple when faced with tough choices.
“As I’ve said in the past, the primary benefit of attending is the optics; of looking as though they’re continuing to do their best on their end — even if the royal family isn’t always doing their best on their end,” Meinzer said.
“But I’ve always maintained that the Sussexes must also do what’s best for their own little family and their own mental health. It sounds like that’s what they’ll be doing,” she added.
“We don’t know all the inner details,” Schiffer said.
“I suspect that there is a message and at the core, it’s one of setting boundaries, but perhaps also being supportive of her husband,” he added.
