All families experience tension, but the Royal Family’s infighting is fully displayed to the world. As King Charles was formally crowned as head of the British monarchy, members of the family were noticeably absent from the festivities.
Charles’ daughter-in-law Meghan Markle and grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were not present. They weren’t even in the UK.
Buckingham Palace previously announced that Prince Harry would attend the coronation sans family. Instead, his wife and children were 5,000 miles away at their southern California home.
People reports that Markle and the kids were celebrating Prince Archie’s birthday instead. A source told the outlet it would be a “low-key” affair with Markle’s mom and some friends.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told the outlet that Archie’s birthday falling on the same day as the King’s coronation provides “an elegant solution” for Markle to stay home. The outlet reports that the backlash she received from the UK press after attending the Queen’s funeral also played a factor.
“Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law, but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support,” a source close to the couple said. “There’s always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?”
While it would have been a big deal if Harry had missed his dad’s coronation, it’s less serious for Markle to stay home in California.
