Harry and Meghan may get cold shoulder at Coronation and be ‘seated in Iceland’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could receive the cold shoulder treatment at King Charles' Coronation service - with members of the royal family reportedly hoping they will be "seated in Iceland". The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now expected to be at the grand event on May 6 - the same date as son Archie's fourth birthday - having been invited by Harry's estranged father, Charles. But it was reported last night that many members of the Firm are privately telling friends they will give the couple the "cold shoulder".
Harry and Meghan fled the royal family in early 2020 when they stepped back from official duties. They have since made a series of bombshell claims about royal life and accusations against the royals in interviews and TV shows, deepening the rift between the pair and Harry's family. But the Montecito, California-based couple, who this week saw their young children Archie and Lilibet granted Prince and Princess titles, are expected to make the trip for the King's Coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Harry and Meghan's kids 'not invited to King Charles' coronation'
King Charles III will be crowned on May 6 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
But it is reported many members of The Firm have no desire to socialise with the Netflix stars.
A source, described as friend of the family by the Mail, told the paper: "They will be given the cold shoulder by very many relatives. One said to me, 'I hope they'll be seated in Iceland.' "Many of the family just want nothing more to do with them.
If they have to see them at the Coronation then so be it, but they do not want to socialise with them." It is understood that The Sussexes will not be invited to join with the traditional royal family balcony appearance, as the new King and the working royals greet wellwishers. There is thought to be ongoing discussions about which other events the Duke and Duchess may or may not take part in during the Coronation celebrations.
Harry and Meghan's children, Archie, who turns four on the day of the King's Coronation, and 21-month-old Lilibet, are thought by palace chiefs to be too young to attend.
Meghan and Harry have launched a series of barbs at the Royal Family since moving to the US (Matt Dunham/AP/REX/Shutterstock)
The family is expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage for the duration of their stay, enjoying Archie's birthday before the ceremony. They are being evicted from Frogmore by Charles who is understood to have offered it to Prince Andrew, with the Duke of York said to be refusing to move from his lavish 30-bedroom Royal Lodge in the shadow of Windsor Castle. The King is insisting on budget cuts to royal finances that would leave Andrew, 63, unable to pay for the mansion's upkeep.
The King has given Harry and Meghan until after the Coronation in May to clear their belongings from Frogmore Cottage. Earlier this month, a source close to the Royal couple claimed they were "OK" with the King's decision and feel that "if we need to move out, we will get ourselves out", despite previous reports the news came as a shock and a "crushing blow". Meghan's Journalist pal Omid Scobie, author of the Meghan and Harry biography, Finding Freedom, this month claimed notice of the eviction was a "crushing blow".
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However, a source close to the couple denied they were "stunned", speaking to The Times newspaper.
They told the paper: "It is what it is. They are not fighting it. They realise they have a home [in California].
They have a roof over their heads. They were very privileged to have a second residence. It's not going to work out for them there, and that's OK."
The lease on Frogmore on the Windsor estate runs out at the end of March but Charles is giving them a few months to remove belongings and transfer them to California. Just this week Harry appeared in his latest television interview with controversial 'trauma therapist' Dr Gabor Mate, and told him he began using weed and ayahuasca - a psychoactive drink - to help cope with trauma from his past. On Dr Mate's The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, Harry claimed: "I started doing it recreationally and then started to realize how good it was for me."
He said he had "learned a new language of therapy" but discovered that his family "didn't speak that language". And now many royal family members are bracing for the Sussexes' arrival in under two months, as the nation counts down to the King's hotly-anticipated Coronation.
Charles speaks to members of the public at the Colchester Castle this month (Getty Images)
Meghan and Harry this week said they believe Lilibet's princess title is a "birthright" in a statement, as they confirmed their daughter was baptised as Princess Lilibet Diana earlier this month, in a private ceremony at their home in California with around 20 to 30 people in attendance.
A spokesman for the couple said: "The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became Monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace." Archie and Lilibet are entitled to the ranks as the grandchildren of a reigning monarch.
While Harry has agreed not to use his 'HRH' title since walking away from royal duties, it is thought Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will be able to adopt their HRH status, in future. Prince Andrew's daughters are similarly still entitled to use HRH, after their dad said he will also not use it after being removed from royal duties. The royal family's official website has been changed to reflect that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children will use the titles prince and princess.
Archie and Lilibet are now listed as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
Previously they featured on the line of succession page as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's spokesman said: "I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor."