King Charles Is Reportedly Sending Out Secret Olive Branches to …
King Charles III is reportedly doing his best to make things right with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Ahead of his coronation, Charles allegedly sent secret olive branches to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a bid to make amends. One of these attempts at reconciliation was Charles' plan to honor Harry and Meghan's son, Archie, at the coronation lunch.
But with Meghan rejecting the invitation, Charles has reportedly scrapped mentioning Archie at all.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and King Charles | Phil Harris/POOL/AF/Getty Images
King Charles reportedly sent Prince Harry and Meghan Markle an olive branch ahead of the coronation
Given everything that has happened between the Sussexes and the royal family over the past few years, many expected them to skip Charles' coronation altogether. Despite the drama, Charles included Harry and Meghan in the official guest list for the ceremony. According to Express, royal experts viewed the invitation as an olive branch to the Sussexes.
Although Harry accepted the invite, Meghan declined and will stay home to celebrate Archie's birthday.
Archie is set to turn four on the same day as the coronation. While it is true that Meghan could have brought her children along for the ceremony, the birthday offered her a perfect excuse to stay away. We will likely never know what communications went on behind the scenes between the two families.
Despite Charles' reported olive branch, sources claim that he has now decided to ditch his plans to honor Archie.
King Charles will not honor Archie during his coronation
The royals have already confirmed that Harry will attend Charles' coronation without his family in tow. But according to sources close to the royals, his stay might be a short one. An insider told Express that Harry does not plan on eating lunch with his family following the coronation ceremony.
The insider claims that Harry may opt to skip the lunch and return home as soon as the event is over. In light of Harry's decision, the insider went on to reveal that Charles is making a major change to his plans. Charles was originally going to toast Archie at the lunch but now has opted against honoring his grandson.
"The King considered a toast to Archie.
But with no member of the Sussex family now due at the lunch, it is highly unlikely he would do in their absence," the source shared. As far as the coronation is concerned, Harry will probably sit with other royals who are considered non-working. This includes Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, both of whom are still good friends with Harry.
The royals have 'flipped the script' on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The royal family has remained tight-lipped amid all of the drama with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Their decision to remain quiet - and offer olive branches - has led some experts to argue that the royals have "flipped the script" on Harry and Meghan. Edward Coram-James, an expert in public relations, told Express that Meghan's reaction to the coronation invitation was a major misstep. By deciding to skip the highly anticipated event, Coram-James believes Meghan has set herself up for more criticism.
"Optics are everything, and the Sussexes have, to date, squarely lost the optics war," he shared. "In this kind of feud, when one side offers the other side an olive branch, it is reputationally very damaging for that olive branch to be rejected."
Harry and Meghan left their royal duties in early 2020. Since then, they have openly criticized the royals and the monarchy as an institution. The drama heated up after Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
Although Harry will be at the coronation, he is expected to miss out on the King's Procession as well as being present on the Buckingham Palace balcony.