The guest list for King Charles’ official coronation has been finalized, but one big name is conspicuously missing from the list: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex (aka Meghan Markle).
Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that Meghan would be staying home in California with children Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, while Prince Harry travels overseas for the coronation celebration on May 6th. The Palace statement read, “Buckingham Palace is 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.”
The couple’s own public statement read much the same: “The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
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This news follows some explosive recent volleys between the Royal Family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, including the bombshell release of Prince Harry's tell-all memoir, Spare. Sources told People magazine this week that "at this point, it's become so personal," and continued, "maybe what they wanted wasn't achieved, but at the end of the day, he's going there to support his dad." People added, "King Charles is said to be 'pleased' his son will be there, but the wider reconciliation so many have hoped for within the family hasn't happened."
Twitter Divided On Support For Harry & Meghan
Opinion of the news has been heavily divided on social media, with many taking to Twitter to either support the couple—"Bravo Meghan!!!!" raved one fan—or decry the pair in general. "Ah yes. The privacy tour continues," quipped one Twitter user; "Awwwww, poor things," replied another with sarcasm.
"Good compromise," offered a Twitter user replying to the BBC's post on the subject. Another had a less measured response: "Both should be home with their kids. They’re both unwanted in the UK." The couple does have their passionate supporters, though—"Protecting his family I suspect, good for him," read one tweet.
Harry And Meghan Will Have A 'Low-Key Party At Home' After Coronation
At the very least, Harry and Meghan will have a lot to celebrate back in California when the coronation festivities are all said and done—Prince Archie's 4th birthday happens to fall on May 6th, coronation day. According to a family friend, plans are in place for "a low-key party at home," adding "they'll have friends around them and Meghan's mom, Doria [Ragland]. Meghan will definitely have support that weekend."
"Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law, but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support," a close friend told People. "There's always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?"
Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet aren't the only famous figures not attending the coronation—Elton John, Adele, Ed Sheeran and other celebs have turned down invites to perform for the newly-crowned monarch on the big day.
