Prince Harry had better be prepared to have lots of innocuous chats about the weather when he attends his father’s coronation next month.
The royal family has “no interest” in talking to Harry “beyond the most basic of greetings,” sources told the Daily Mail Thursday, adding that the Duke of Sussex’s cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, with whom he has remained friendly, may be the only “exception.”
Buckingham Palace announced Wednesday after weeks of rabid speculation — and what the Mail described as “transatlantic ping-pong” — that Harry will travel home to London to show face at King Charles III’s crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
However, his wife, Meghan Markle, will not be joining him.
“The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” a palace spokesperson told Pvnew, referencing the couple’s two children.
The coronation is being held on the same day as Archie’s 4th birthday.
Sources previously told Pvnew that Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, had sent over a laundry list of questions to Buckingham Palace, including where they would sit and what security — if any — would be provided.
But after the former “Suits” star decided not to go, we heard that she felt her attendance would be “inauthentic” given her icy history with her royal in-laws.
Royals fans also want to know:
- How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met
- Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship timeline
- Royal family tree and line of succession
“They had to make a decision that felt genuine and authentic, especially after everything that has been said and all the things that have gone down,” an insider familiar with the family told us. “They care about their family, so Meghan is going to stay [in California] and Harry is going to support his dad.”
Another insider added, “There was no way that Meghan was going to miss her son’s birthday.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship with his family members has been tense for years, but things soured after the pair quit their duties and moved to the US in 2020.
Markle, who is biracial, alleged during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed royal had “concerns” about the color of Archie’s skin. She also claimed the family did not help her when she felt suicidal during her time as a working royal.
Harry and the former actress have continued to air their grievances in recent months, from their Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” to the prince’s bombshell memoir, “Spare.”
The book contained numerous anecdotes, including Charles, 74, joking that he was not Harry’s biological father, Prince William physically attacking his younger brother during an argument about Markle, and Kate Middleton being peeved by her sister-in-law asking to borrow lip gloss.
Less than two months after the memoir’s January release, Charles asked Harry and Markle to vacate their English home, Frogmore Cottage.
The coronation will mark the duke’s first time seeing his family since “Spare” hit stores.
