Harry and Meghan ‘fully expected’ to attend King Charles III’s coronation amid royal family tensions

A source says the Sussexes should not expect reconciliation talks

Members of the royal family are “fully expecting” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to attend King Charles III’s coronation this spring, it has been reported.

It comes amid speculation that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might “find a reason not to go” to the event at Westminster Abbey on 6 May to mark the beginning of the King’s reign.

The release of Harry’s memoir Spare and the couple’s Netflix documentary, both of which contained explosive allegations against the royal family, was seen as a possible barrier to the pair being invited for the coronation.

But a source close to the family was recently quoted in the Daily Mail as saying that the Sussexes “will definitely” be at Charles’ big day, but should not expect any reconciliation talks.

They said: “Members of the family have told me that both Harry and Meghan will definitely come. They fully expect that.

“And they should realise that there is only one subject that many members of the royal family will be willing to discuss… and that’s the weather.”

Previously, another source close to the family told The Independent that the family will extend the invitation to the coronation to Harry and Meghan, but “it would be very hard” for them to be there “given everything that has been said”.

There is also speculation that the couple may not attend the coronation because it falls on their son Archie’s fourth birthday.

In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America in January, following the launch of his memoir, Harry avoided confirming whether or not he would accept an invitation.

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He said: “I don’t think that we can ever have peace with my family unless the truth is out there. There’s a lot that I can forgive, but there need to be conversations in order for reconciliation, and part of that has to be accountability.”

In their six-episode Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, which was released in December, Harry suggested that Buckingham Palace treated him differently compared to his older brother and heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales.

He claimed that among the royal family, there was “leaking, but there’s also planting of stories”, adding that it was a “dirty game” to cover up certain stories with salacious ones about Meghan.

In one episode, Harry said: “They were happy to lie to protect my brother. They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”

Harry made further allegations in Spare and claimed that Prince William physically attacked him by grabbing him “by the collar, ripping my necklace” and knocking him “to the floor”.

He also alleged that William called Meghan “difficult”, “rude”, and “abrasive”.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that palace aides are in talks with the BBC about Charles potentially giving a tell-all interview to share his side of the story. The BBC declined to comment.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.