King Charles III will ‘certainly’ invite Harry and Meghan to coronation, says royal expert

King Charles III’s coronation could be a chance for the royal family to paper over their fractured relations with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Victoria Arbiter predicts.

9Honey’s royal commentator reveals the May 2023 coronation for the new King – which is expected to be a largely “scaled back” event – will see the royals come together to usher in a new era for the monarchy.

Arbiter says she expects the “whole royal family” to be in attendance at the historic event and speculated that if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle weren’t to attend, it certainly wouldn’t be Charles’ wish.

“Given Charles is the head of the family, I would expect to see the whole royal family in attendance, similarly to how we did for the Queen’s funeral,” Arbiter tells 9Honey.

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“Certainly at the Platinum Jubilee, we saw the whole royal family in attendance. It is a state occasion, it is an occasion that celebrates the institution of monarchy, rather than the person at the helm of the monarchy. And the royal family will be there in support of the kingdom.”

Meghan and Harry’s tense relationship with the royals has been a source of obsessive scrutiny at every major event since their sensational departure in 2020.

Charles has been outspoken in his support of his son and daughter-in-law, even wishing them both well as they “build their life overseas” in his first address to the nation.

His affection for Meghan and Harry will almost certainly see him extend an olive branch in the form of a coronation invitation, Arbiter says.

“It’s possible, some [members of the royal family] may be overseas, for whatever reason, it’s possible some of them may be unable to attend, whether it’s due to health reasons or personal reasons,” she explains. “But I think an invitation will be extended.”

If Harry and Meghan were to snub the historic coronation ceremony on May 6, 2023, Arbiter believes it would be entirely their decision.

“I think it would say more about a decision made on Harry and Meghan’s part, than it would on the royals side,” she said.

“The King will absolutely invite Harry and Meghan, Harry is his son and Meghan is his daughter-in-law. If Harry and Meghan don’t attend, it would have been because they chose not to.”

The Duke and Duchess’ decision, Arbiter says, ultimately may rest on the fallout from their upcoming Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir.

Relations between the Sussexes and royal family would have to be “really bad” for them to be asked not to attend, she explains.

“It would be important for them to be there, to solidify their connection to the royal family,” Arbiter reveals.

“It would mean things were really bad, and I guess it ultimately depends on whether or not Harry’s book comes out before, and their Netflix series, and what the fallout is from that.”

When Buckingham Palace announced the official date of Charles’ coronation, royal fans immediately realised it clashed with Meghan and Harry’s son Archie’s birthday.

As is with any royal news regarding the Sussexes, some pointed out it was a deliberate snub.

Arbiter, however, pointed out the date of May 6 was a pure “coincidence”.

“This date has been picked out purely for practical reasons, organisers are not just considering the royal calendar but the international calendar,” she says.

“I think this date was the one that worked, it was the one that ticked as many boxes as possible, given how many different organisations, countries and schedules they have to consider.

“So yes, it falls on Archie’s birthday, but it also falls on the date that King George V was proclaimed King in 1910. And he established the House of Windsor, so there’s a nice nod there.”

Royal commentary has leaned towards Charles hosting a “scaled back” coronation in order to reflect a slimmed-down, modern monarchy.

But Arbiter says Charles won’t rock the boat too much during his reign, and that includes not completely reshaping the coronation tradition.

“If he pares it back too much, people will say he has lost significance and he’s reduced it to nothing more than a regular church service,” she explains.

“But, if he goes over the top and incorporates everything we saw in 1953, people will say he is out of touch, tone deaf and insensitive to how the UK is right now.

“I think he is going to be quite wise in terms of striking the right balance.”

The next seven months until the coronation may be a “difficult” period for Charles and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, Arbiter says.

The Crown Season 5 is set to air during the lead-up to May 6, 2023, which will re-hash plenty of ugly moments in Charles’ relationship history.

“I think that’s going to make for a very difficult few months for the King, because that will put everything from 25 years ago back on the front pages,” she says.

“They know it’s bound to be a bit wobbly for a while. I don’t know anyone who has to continually rehash the sins of the past, like Charles and Camilla.”

Despite this, the royal commentator doesn’t foresee Charles and Camilla making any huge public relations pushes to repair any damage the Netflix show could inflict on the King’s reign.

“They’ve been doing the groundwork since 2005, when they married,” she says.

“I don’t see them doing anything more dramatic in a ‘please, like us’, way. They’re just going to get on with the job.”

This story first appeared on Nine Honey and is republished with permission.