Meghan Markle: the reasons for her absence at the coronation of Charles III

He would be "very disappointed" if Meghan Markle did not attend his coronation.

King Charles III would indeed feel sad at the idea that his daughter-in-law does not participate in the festivities of May 6.

“It's sad, he is very disappointed not to see Meghan and her grandchildren, but he understands the situation,” said an anonymous source in the columns of the

, Wednesday April 12.

On the same day, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry would go to the coronation without the Duchess of Sussex, who will remain “in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet”, can we read in the press release.

Since then, speculation has been rife about the real reasons for this absence.

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Archie's birthday

It's the perfect excuse.

According to several English media and the biographer and friend of the Sussexes, Omid Scobie, Meghan Markle would like to stay in the United States to celebrate the birthday of her son Archie.

"Archie's fourth birthday (which is also May 6th) played a big part in the couple's decision," he tweeted.

The trip to the United Kingdom should be very short for Prince Harry, who will only attend the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey (

.

Archie Mountbatten-Windsor was not invited to the ceremony due to his young age.

"It was therefore out of the question for Meghan to miss her son's birthday," added an anonymous source in the columns of

.

Meghan wants to 'preserve'

But royal experts have invoked other theories that could explain Meghan Markle's absence.

Among them, his potential need to protect himself.

"It seems like a way to save yourself," Kinsey Schofield, host of "The Di for Daily" podcast, told

.

The popularity of the Sussexes has fallen disastrously since the release of The

and their Netflix series.

She added: "I don't think Meghan wants all this negative attention and Harry will likely receive a much less hostile reception from the thousands of people attending the King's coronation without Meghan at his side. »

Journalist Dan Wootton also speculated in his

article that the Duchess may have been afraid of being booed again by the public, as she had been when she arrived at St Paul's Cathedral. , in June 2022.

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Meghan definitely wants to distance herself

Meghan Markle's decision could also mark her strong desire to cut ties with the royal family.

After the "Megxit", the Sussexes had indeed granted an interview to Oprah Winfrey in which they accused the Windsors of having ignored the distress of the Duchess and of having made a racist remark about the potential skin color of their son.

"Meghan's choice not to attend the coronation could be seen as a wish, on both her and Harry's part, to distance herself even further from the royal family, which would only increase tensions between them," backed pundit Chad Teixeira in the

.

But royal correspondent Jonathan Sacerdoti shed light on a more pacifist reason for the absence.

Meghan Markle and Elizabeth II: these moments shared in pictures

In images, in pictures

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See the slideshow10 photos

Meghan doesn't want to steal the show from Charles III

The journalist told

that the Duchess of Sussex would probably want to avoid stealing the show from Charles III.

According to the expert, the mere appearance of Meghan Markle at the event would overshadow the sovereign, which would fuel dissension between the Windsors and the Sussexes.

“The coronation has nothing to do with Harry, Meghan and their family psychodrama, argued the royal correspondent.

This is about Britain and our new king and queen.

But we may not be spared the headlines about the Sussexes, especially if they deliberately throw a big birthday party for their son Archie and make sure to invite VIPs.

In video, Meghan and Harry caricatured in

South Park

Harry doesn't want to put his wife in danger

Another reason would be likely to explain the choice of Meghan Markle: the concern related to his safety.

Prince Harry had indeed requested the establishment of police protection for his family when he went to the United Kingdom.

However, the son of Charles III had been warned that he would no longer be granted the "same degree" of protection as when he lived on English soil.

In January 2022, a spokesperson said the Duke of Sussex was refusing to return to the family 'unprotected' because his children would face threats there.

This could explain the reluctance of the Duchess of Sussex to go there.

Meghan is simply ungrateful

The decision of the former actress, however, received a mixed reception in the media.

Kinsey Schofield thus considered that it was akin to a “lack of respect” towards the Windsors.

"The Sussexes feel like everything is due to them and have no respect for their elders or the monarchy," she said.

It's disappointing to see two people who have been incredibly blessed in life react in this way."

Some media, such as the

, have also considered that the Duchess of Sussex was showing ingratitude.

"The King was there for you on your big day, Meghan - so sad you couldn't be there for his," the headline read, noting that King Charles III saved the day. his daughter-in-law by leading her to the altar on her wedding day, in 2018, after the withdrawal of Thomas Markle.

Kate Middleton's relief

If Charles III would also have expressed his disappointment, the tabloids also spoke of the relief that the rest of the royal family would feel in the face of the absence of Meghan Markle – in particular Kate Middleton, with whom the Duchess would be cold.

“His presence would have been particularly uncomfortable for Kate,” an unnamed source told the

Before adding: "The rest of the royal family will also be relieved that Meghan is not there."

Despite these rumors, it is impossible to know with certainty what motivated the choice of Meghan Markle.

“Only the royal family and institution know the real reasons for this decision,” said Chad Teixeira.

A secret that should remain well kept – at least until the release of volume 2 of Prince Harry's memoirs.