After months of speculation, fans of the royal family finally know if King Charles III will invite Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to his coronation in May. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have finally received their official invitations to the coronation, but they did not come by the most regal means. On Sunday, a representative for Harry and Markle told reporters that they have gotten their invitation by email. After all the rumors that Markle and Prince Harry wouldn’t be invited at all, the means of communication hardly seemed to make waves online.
“I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time,” the rep said, according to a report by Entertainment Tonight. So far, no spokesperson for Buckingham Palace has commented on the invitation or the delay in receiving an RSVP. The coronation has become a complicated issue on both sides with ultimatums and demands for apologies within the royal family.
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Back in January while promoting his memoir Spare, Prince Harry implied that he might not attend his father’s coronation without a public apology. The prince wants his father and his brother Prince William to apologize for the way Markle was treated while living in the palace and for their silence over her persecution in the press. He told ITV: “There’s a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”
Meanwhile, a report by The Daily Mail claimed that King Charles wanted to invite Prince Harry and Markle to the coronation while his heir Prince William argued against it. Sources close to them said that Prince William felt his younger brother would be a distraction, stirring up drama and ultimately drawing attention away from the historic moment at hand. He felt so strongly that it would be less distracting to simply not invite them, knowing that that would intrigue the press and the public as well.
The king insisted on inviting his younger son in the end, and insiders say it was a decision that balanced sentiment and practicality. They said: “It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don’t sort it out, it will always be part of the King’s reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue.”
As for the apology, an insider that spoke with The Times speculated that Prince Harry might be able to get “a conversation” with his father, but it wouldn’t be “wrapped in an apologetic bow.” They believed that the king would be willing to discuss the issues raised in Prince Harry’s book and other media, but “it would not be a one-way street.” It’s unclear if Prince Harry and Markle are truly holding out for a public apology, but there’s not much time left to decide. The Coronation of King Charles III is scheduled for Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London, England.
