At King Charles's coronation, Prince Harry is in attendance, but Meghan Markle is not. Buckingham Palace said in a statement they were "pleased to confirm that 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."
The reason for Harry's attendance sans Meghan has not been given explicitly, but a close friend of Meghan's is now sharing (anonymously) with People. "Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law, but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support," the friend said. "There's always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?"
"At this point, it's become so personal," the friend said elsewhere in the interview. "Maybe what they wanted wasn't achieved, but at the end of the day, he's going there to support his dad."
The birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's eldest, Prince Archie, also falls on the same day of the coronation, which could've also impacted Meghan's decision to stay home in California with their children.
The last time Harry and Meghan were both in England with the royals was in September, for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. People reports, "Those closest to the couple know that the media backlash Meghan faced in the U.K. during Queen Elizabeth's funeral last year — and in the seven months since — played a significant role in her decision not to come."
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
