Doubt still lingers.
A few weeks before the coronation of Charles III, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not yet decided.
Will they join this historic event?
No one knows at the moment.
The invitation - an official email - has yet been launched, confirmed one of their spokesperson.
The decision is delicate, at a time when the couple's relations with the royal family have deteriorated sharply: as a result of the revelations made in
Harry & Meghan
(2022), their documentary series on Netflix and the publication of
Spare
(2023), the Memoirs of the Duke of Sussex.
On May 6, all eyes will be on London, where the ceremony will be held.
In the meantime, some, like the
Time
site , are reviewing the "pros" and "cons" relating to their arrival.
In video, "Silence is betrayal", says Prince Harry in an interview
For: family first
Among the arguments in favor of their presence: show the image of a united family.
Attending the coronation would indeed be a pledge of loyalty and a certain sense of duty on the part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
This would thus allow the royal family, and King Charles III to save appearances, and to display a sign of unity (even artificial), beyond the conflicts.
Especially since the Sussexes glean large sums of money thanks to their link with royalty… An exchange of good practices, a “
win-win
” strategy (
Editor’s note
: win-win), as Kinsey Schofield explains, royal expert in the United States, to
Time:
“The King will not have to bear the absence of one of his children at his coronation in the history books, and Harry maintains that royal connection which proved so lucrative for him in the United States.”
Interests that can also benefit their children, Archie and Lilibet-Diana.
Although the latter have still not been invited to the ceremony – they would be too young – they were given the titles of prince and princess, in September 2022… Status which became official a few weeks ago only, and that the Sussexes might want to protect.
Getting to the coronation would be part of that.
Read alsoKing Charles definitively evicts Harry and Meghan Markle from Frogmore Cottage to install Prince Andrew there
Another good reason to attend the ceremony: the Sussexes have retained allies within the royal family.
They will therefore not be alone in London.
The couple notably maintains good relations with the York sisters – the princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – who also testified in their documentary series.
As well as with Zara Tindall, cousin of Harry, who had chosen the latter to be the godfather of her daughter, Lena Elizabeth.
Finally, the importance of the event will divert attention from the couple.
On May 6, internal wars will not be the subject of the day: the coronation of the king is a historic event that conflicts cannot taint.
Guests present, British traditions, luxury and pageantry… So many elements that will allow the couple to be discreet.
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The “cons”: bad atmosphere and ball of hypocrites
If the Sussexes attend the coronation, a major fear seems to emerge: their presence could throw a chill.
"They would be seated a few rows back, would be seen at palace windows during processions, and would likely not be invited to all celebratory events," Kinsey Schofield said.
The members of the royal family that they have deliberately crushed will no doubt refuse to appear alongside them.
Starting with Prince William, as the trust between the two brothers seems broken.
Tensions recounted in
Spare
, and which do not date from yesterday.
Witness this fight in 2019, during which William, willingly described as a "sworn enemy", "thrown to the ground" Prince Harry.
Plus, would Prince Harry and Meghan turn the ceremony into some sort of hypocritical ball?
The accusations made in recent months by the Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle that the royal family is racist would indeed make their visit to the sacrosanct coronation incoherent.
Under fire from critics
Despite a tense context, Harry does not hide his desire to engage in dialogue with the members of what he calls "the firm".
“The door is always open […] there is a lot to discuss and I really hope that they are ready to sit down and talk about it,” he confided in January during an interview with a ITV channel.
But whatever the Sussexes' decision, the comments will flow.
“There are critics who will say 'they are hypocrites', yes.
However, the same critics could accuse him of being a coward if he does not attend,” analyzes Kinsey Schofield.
And to conclude: “Harry is in a very difficult position.”
