According to a royal expert, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's plans for the upcoming Coronation were an "open secret" among their friends in California for months. Buckingham Palace recently announced that Harry would attend the historic event on May 6, while Meghan would stay in California with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Although the RSVP deadline for the Coronation passed nine days ago, there had been no public confirmation of Harry and Meghan's decision, leaving planners unable to finalize the arrangements. Archie's fourth birthday, which falls on the same day as the Coronation, is said to have played a role in Meghan's decision to stay in California with her children. Harry is expected to make a brief trip to the UK.
Royal expert Camilla Tominey asserts that despite the delayed announcement, the Sussexes' Montecito friends were well aware of their plans, which might have been decided even before the release of Harry's controversial memoir, Spare.
Tominey wrote in The Telegraph, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have known for months that this was the way they were going to broach the May 6 ceremony." She added, "Among their Montecito set, it has been an open secret that Harry was planning to attend without Meghan since Spare hit the bookshelves in January - possibly even earlier."
Signs pointing to their decision included Meghan's near-complete absence from her husband's book tour and rumors of discontent over Archie and Lilibet's exclusion from the Coronation procession.
The Coronation will be Harry's first public appearance alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate since he criticized them in Spare, published in January. A royal source knowledgeable about Coronation plans said King Charles would likely be delighted that Harry would attend.
The insider stated, "The King has previously spoken of loving both his sons and that remains the case. Harry would have deeply regretted not attending the ceremony." They added that Archie's birthday provided the perfect excuse for Meghan to stay behind, and given the circumstances, it's probably the right decision.
A source told The Sun, "It is sad, he [the King] is very disappointed that he won't see Meghan or his grandchildren but understands the situation."
