Queen Elizabeth Set to Honor Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Report Says

Several members of the British Royal Family will receive platinum jubilee medals from Queen Elizabeth II, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The queen will become the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, which will mark 70 years since she was crowned monarch. The decision to include Harry and Markle on the list of medal recipients follows the couple's split from the royal family, as they now live in California and were critical of Harry's family in a bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview earlier this year.

The U.K. government unveiled the designs for the platinum jubilee medal on Sept. 25. The medal is intended to be presented to those who served the U.K. as members of the police, fire, and emergency services, as well as prison services and the Armed Forces with at least five years of service. "Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the dedication and service of those who, like the Queen, tirelessly serve our country," Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said in a statement.

The list of recipients also include members of the Royal Household with at least one year of qualifying service. Harry and Markle, who married in May 2018 and have two children, qualify and are expected to receive a medal, Express reported on Sept. 27. "A wide number of members of the Royal Family will receive the Platinum Jubilee medal in line with the previous two jubilees," a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman told the Express.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been at the center of countless reports of royal rifts, with almost every decision the family makes characterized as a "snub" of the couple. Just this week, the Daily Mail reported that Harry's father, Prince Charles, is no longer considering giving Harry Clarence House once Charles ascends to the throne. It is more likely to be given to Prince William's children, although it would need significant renovations. Charles has been living in Clarence House since the Queen Mother died in 2002.

Markle and Harry call California their home, but they traveled to New York late last month to speak at Global Citizen Live in Central Park about the importance of coronavirus vaccine equality around the world. It was reported that their trip was filmed for a Netflix documentary. The couple's Archwell production company signed a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix last year.

There is another controversial name reportedly on the list of platinum jubilee medal recipients: Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew. Since his connections to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed, Andrew has rarely been seen in public and stepped down from royal duties in 2019. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims to have had sex with Andrew on Epstein's orders three times, is suing Andrew in New York. Andrew, who has denied the allegations, recently won the right to review a sealed 2009 settlement Giuffre reached with Epstein.