Meghan Snubbed King Charles' Coronation Because She Doesn't Want to Bend the Knee to "Cry-Monger" Kate, Insiders Claim

It's the moment royal spectators were waiting for. Prince Harry finally revealed whether he'll be attending the coronation. Ending months of speculation, the 38-year-old has confirmed he'll be at King Charles III's event, where his father will be officially crowned in the United Kingdom's highly traditional ceremony—the first in 70 years. But to the public's surprise, Prince Harry will attend alone. "The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," a Buckingham Palace statement read. Since the news broke, royal commentators tried to deduce what caused the famously inseparable couple to split for such a historic occasion, and some managed to reach palace insiders. Read on to learn why, in their opinion, Meghan will miss the coronation, what was the reaction of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and experts' insights about the sticky situation. 

Meghan and the Royals

"The Duchess made very clear what she thought about curtseying to Queen Elizabeth II in the couple's Netflix documentary. She's unlikely to be any more enamoured with the idea of bending the knee and bowing her head to 'cry-monger' Catherine, the pregnancy-hormone princess," a source tells The Telegraph. "And in what world would the woman who once told Oprah Winfrey 'the most important title I will ever have is Mom,' be comfortable with skipping her eldest's fourth birthday in favour of an event that would require her to curtsy not only to her estranged father and mother-in-law – but also her even more estranged brother and sister-in-law?"

Meghan and Curtsying

"Meghan Markle's light-hearted rejection of a respectful curtsy at a charity summit in 2019 has become the focus of a new viral video, after a clip resurfaced on TikTok. A curtsy is a traditional form of reverence offered by female members of the royal family to the monarch upon greeting them and leaving them each day. Meghan made a number of public curtsies to her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, during her lifetime, including on her wedding day to Prince Harry in 2018," says Newsweek. "Members of the royal family do not bow or curtsy to each other and there is no protocol or expectation for members of the public to curtsy to the royals in Britain, though many choose to do so of their own volition. In their Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan discussed the first time that the then-actress was introduced to the queen, while they were dating. 'I remember in the car driving up, and he [Harry] said, "You know how to curtsy right?" […] And I just thought it was a joke,' Meghan explained."

Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Relived the Coronation Won't Be a Media Circus, Expert Claims

The news of the Duchess of Sussex staying at the couple's Montecito has brought a sense of "relief," in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, royal expert Eloise Parker shares her insights about the sticky situation. The historic event will gain worldwide attention as King Charles III is crowned on May 6th, but royal watchers believe there will be less attention to the family's differences without the Duchess of Sussex in attendance.

"I think there's bound to be some relief from William and Kate that Meghan won't be attending the coronation simply because less emphasis is going to be on them, who's looking where, who's lip reading, what's going on between them," Parker said.

Drama Will Never Play Out on Camera

Whenever the former Fab Four are together, the media is focused on their every move hoping to catch tension between them on camera, but Parker revealed that will never happen. "There's such a fever of interest in these relationships and the truth is we're never going to see a Real Housewives moment between these women. Everything is going to be kept firmly under wraps and I think for Kate, the fact that Meghan isn't attending, helps her keep it that way."

Meghan Staying Home is a "Safe Solution," Expert Claims

Prince Harry's relationship with his family has been strained since the couple decided to leave their senior roles and opt for a life in California where they're raising their two children. In spite of the frail state of where things are, it would have been "sad" if Prince Harry didn't attend his father's big day. "My first reaction is relief that Harry is going to be at his father's coronation," Parker says.

"It would have been an incredibly sad time if he hadn't attended at all. It's, of course, not ideal that only half of his family is going — with Meghan staying home — but I think it's a safe solution given all the drama that we've seen over the past year or two."

Harry Attending his Father's Coronation Won't Repair Their Relationship, Expert Claims

Prince Harry's relationship with his father will take time to heal, and Parker told ET not to expect things to be smoothed over on his visit to the U.K. "This event really is like a giant wedding. It's everyone you've ever met plus plenty of people you haven't, so Charles and William, they're gonna be pulled in a million different directions," Parker said.

"It would be extraordinary to think they would have even a minute with Harry to even say hello, let alone heal the royal rift. So I think this is not going to be that time. Let's hope Harry or Charles or William can carve out some time once the dust has settled to really start making some inroads of their personal relationships." 

Just Five Years Ago Charles Walked Meghan Down the Aisle

The world watched as King Charles walked Markle down the aisle last minute after her father got caught up in a tabloid scandal of staging photos for the paparazzi and skipped the wedding. "It was an incredibly intimate act and an incredibly public event," Parker says of Charles walking Meghan down the aisle. "But this amount of fracture in just five years — to go from walking your daughter-in-law down the aisle to not having her attend the biggest event of your life — we're seeing an extraordinary fracture in that relationship."

Meghan Not Attending is a Sign of "Fractured Relationship with Britain," Expert Says

Parker explained that the Duchess of Sussex started having a great relationship with King Charles, and her missing on his biggest day is very telling of how deep the damage is. "Harry even wrote in his book how well Meghan and Charles got along, so it's extraordinary to see there's a sense of real sadness. That she's not going to be at this event, that things have gotten so bad that she would rather not set foot on British soil. I think, unfortunately, this is a testament not just to Meghan's fractured relationship with her family, but to her fractured relationship with Britain as a whole."

Harry Credits Meghan for Saving Him From a World He was "Stuck" In

To help promote his book Spare, which doesn't hold back when it comes to sharing candid details about events that led them to leave England, Prince Harry had an intimate conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté, a trauma expert, for an online special event in February 2023.

During the lengthy conversation, Harry said, "My wife saved me. I was stuck in this world, and she was from a different world and helped draw me out of that. But none of the elements of my life now would have been possible without me seeing it for myself. It's almost impossible to change other people, but you have to start with changing yourself and allow that growth to happen. My partner is an exceptional human being and I'm eternally grateful for the wisdom and the space that she has been able to give me."

Meghan Doesn't Tolerate Bad Behavior from Harry

During the virtual event with Dr. Maté, Prince Harry mentioned a moment when he lost his temper and revealed that Markle didn't tolerate his behavior, which helped him work on aspects of his life. "I needed that pushback," he stated. "I needed that moment again, scared, scared of losing her. It was a real moment because of the question that she asked. 'Is this because of how you were brought up or that you've experienced or seen or heard you know other people within your life speak to women like that?' It was like a light bulb moment. It was like, wow! Yeah, that is where it comes from. It's not an excuse, no no, just understanding of how these things manifest themselves and how we and we how we are so much a product of our own upbringing, and the two of us, you know, have had our own stuff, you know, with our families."

Early Signs of Tension with Kate and Markle

In his bombell book Spare, Prince Harry didn't gloss over any tensions between his wife and his family. In the memoir, he writes about an incident that took place between Meghan Markle and his sister-in-law that happened at Royal Foundation Forum in 2018. According to the prince, Markle forgot her lipstick and allegedly asked Middleton to borrow hers, creating an "awkward moment."

He wrote, "Kate, taken aback, went into her handbag and reluctantly pulled out a small tube. Meg squeezed some onto her finger and applied it to her lips. Kate grimaced." He stated it was something the couples "should've been able to laugh about," but the press "sensed" it was "something bigger."

Kate Offended Over "Baby Brain" Comment, According to Harry

There was more drama between Kate and Markle leading up to the wedding. Weeks before his wedding to the former actress, Kate gave birth to her third child Prince Louis, on April 23, 2018, and Markle mentioned she has a "baby brain." Prince Harry wrote that Meghan told Kate that she "must have baby brain because of her hormones," which deeply offended Kate. Apparently, Kate told Meghan, "You talked about my hormones. We are not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!"

The Daily Mail reported, "It caused such a huge row because Meghan was told that she wasn't close enough to her sister-in-law to discuss her hormones, and it wasn't the way people spoke to each other within the Royal Family," a source told the outlet. Meghan, in turn, was reportedly offended by the reprimand.

The Conflict Over the Bridesmaid Dresses

Over the years, there's been a lot of gossip about an argument that took place between the Kate and Meghan over bridesmaid dresses. Prince Harry addressed the issue in Spare and shared revealing text messages. He wrote, "Meg didn't reply to Kate straight away. Yes, she had endless wedding-related texts, but mostly she was dealing with the chaos surrounding her father. So the next morning, she texted Kate that our tailor was standing by." "Charlotte's dress is too big, too long, too baggy," he recalled in one of the text messages. "She cried when she tried it on at home."

According to Prince Harry, Meghan responded, "Right, and I told you the tailor has been standing by since 8 am. Here. At KP. Can you take Charlotte to have it altered, as the other mums are doing?"He noted that Kate responded, "No, all the dresses need to be remade." He continued, "Meg asked if Kate was aware of what was going on right now. With her father. Kate said she was well aware, but the dresses. And the wedding is in four days!" "Yes, Kate, I know…," Markle responded.

Kate Reportedly Didn't Like How Meghan Planned Her Wedding

Prince Harry also wrote how his sister-in-law had "problems with how Meg was planning her wedding. Something about a party for the page boys? It went back and forth." Markle texted back, "I'm not sure what else to say. If the dress doesn't fit then please take Charlotte to see Ajay [the tailor]. He's been waiting all day." "Fine," Middelton replied.

When he arrived home following the heated text exchange, he found Meghan "on the floor sobbing." He wrote, "It was intolerable but temporary. Kate hadn't meant any harm, I told (Meghan)."

"It's a Dirty Game"

Since leaving his royal duties behind, Prince Harry has been very forthcoming about how his family operates. In the six-part Netflix Harry & Meghan limited series, the prince reveals how his family would leak secrets about him in order to turn the media's attention away from his brother Prince William.

"There's a hierarchy of the family. You know there's leaking, but there's also planting of stories," he says. "It's a dirty game." He also shared how it's challenging to marry into his family. "The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution, this feeding frenzy." 

Why Prince Harry Left His Senior Royal Position

There are many reasons why The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left their royal roles behind and lead a different life in the United States, but one of the main factors was safety. "There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face – as so many of you can relate to – I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been," Harry wrote in a statement published by The Guardian in 2019, referring to his mother, the late Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997 while being chased by photographers.

"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful force."

Harry Says He Is "Not a Victim"

Prince Harry has endured a lot of trauma in his thirty-eight years, between losing his mother in a violent car crash and walking away from his family to protect his wife and children. However, he does not consider himself a victim. In the live stream with Dr. Maté, "I certainly do not see myself as a victim. I'm really grateful to be able to share my story in the hope that it will help, empower, and encourage others and hopefully let people understand, that again back to the human experience that we all in some shape or form are all connected, especially through trauma. But no, I do not and I have never looked for sympathy in this."

Harry Finally Revealed the Friend Who Introduced Him to Markle

In Harry & Meghan, Prince Harry revealed how taken back by Markle he was and how the two met–through their mutual friend Violet von Westenholz, who worked for Ralph Lauren at the time. "I was sitting around Nott Cott, scrolling through Instagram. In my feed I saw a video: My friend Violet. And a young woman. They were playing with a new app that put silly filters on your photos. Violet and the woman had dog ears, dog noses, long red dog tongues hanging out. Despite the canine cartoon overlay, I sat up straighter. This woman with Violet…my God. I watched the video several times, then forced myself to put down the phone. "Then picked it up again, watched the video again."

Prince Harry Said He'd Never Seen Anyone More 'Beautiful" Than Markle

Prince Harry is enamored with his wife and has been since the beginning. In the limited series, the prince said, "I'd traveled the world, from top to bottom, literally. I'd hopscotched the continents. I'd met hundreds of thousands of people, I'd crossed paths with a ludicrously large cross-section of the planet's seven billion residents. For thirty-two years I'd watched a conveyor-belt of faces pass by and only a handful ever made me look twice. This woman stopped the conveyor-belt. This woman smashed the conveyor-belt to bits. I'd never seen anyone so beautiful."

What to Know About the Coronation

King Charles III took over Britain's throne last year when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 96. The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony has been held for the last 900 years. It will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. CBS News reports, "Once inside the Abbey, traditionally the events take place as follows: the Recognition, the Coronation Oath, the Anointing, the Investiture and the Enthronement and Homage."

According to the outlet, "Coronation ceremonies came out of an historic need to bring stability to European monarchies amid competing claims to their thrones, as well as traditions of church involvement in the state. They do not take place immediately after the death of the previous monarch to allow time for the country to grieve. The ceremony is largely religious, and it does not bring King Charles any further privileges as the monarch, which he has been since the moment his mother died."

Many Musicians Declined Performing at the Coronation

The lineup for King Charles III's coronation is not turning out to be the star-studded event the royals were hoping for. Several reports claim Britain's top stars have all declined to perform at the upcoming ceremony that will be held at Windsor Castle. On May 6th, the king and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, will be crowned, and the historical celebration will occur the following day. Adele, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, The Spice Girls, and Robbie Williams were all invited to perform, but most were unable to do so due to scheduling conflicts. 

President Biden Was Invited, But Will Not Attend

The Duchess of Sussex isn't the only notable person not attending. There will be around 2,000 guests, and President Joe Biden was invited but will not attend. "Since the nation's founding on independence from the U.K., no American president has ever attended one of their royal coronations," according to ABC News. The outlet reports, "As National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby noted on Wednesday: "There is a precedent here for the president not to go, and then you know, President Eisenhower didn't attend Queen Elizabeth's coronation either."