Meghan Markle, Harry risk 'fatal blow' to royals at coronation: expert
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry risk causing an "irreversible blow" to the royal family if they choose not to attend the King's coronation, a royal expert claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- who received their invitations to the May 6 ceremony -- are still mulling over whether or not they will make the 5,459-mile-long trip from their Montecito, Calif. home to London. If they do go, the exiled royals will be met with a "cold shoulder" from senior members of the royal family, according to a report.
Now, a royal expert has warned that by skipping the historic celebration -- which coincides with Prince Archie's 4th birthday -- the exiled royals may cause a "fatal" rift with the Firm. "In a universe in which the damage already caused by the rift is still recoverable from, at least in part, a no-show would be the fatal, irreversible blow, both in the public perception as well, potentially, as within the family itself," public relations expert Edward Coram-James told GB News. "It risks drawing out the conflict over the long term."
If Meghan and Harry decide to skip King Charles' coronation in May, it could cause an "fatal rift" with the royal family.Getty Images
Coram-James added that if the Sussexes decide to skip the festivities, it "would draw as much, if not more, media attention." "It would give further oxygen to the rift and allegations that the Sussexes have leveled at the royal family," he told the outlet.
"And the shadow of their absence would loom large over the entire ceremony, risking becoming the elephant in the room and an unwanted sideshow."
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The couple has reportedly set out an alleged list of demands for the big day -- which includes an acknowledgment of their two young kids during festivities. The pair, who wed in 2018, are mainly concerned with the role of their kids -- Prince Archie, who will turn 4 the day his grandfather is crowned king, and Princess Lilibet, 1, a source close to the palace told OK! Magazine earlier this month.
The pair are mainly concerned with the role of their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.Alexi Lubomirski / Duke and Duchess of Sussex
It's believed Archie and Lilibet have not been invited to attend the coronation, which reportedly didn't go down too well with the exiled royals.
The Sussexes are reportedly pushing to be included on the Buckingham Palace balcony on the big day -- a royal protocol reserved strictly for working members of the royal family.
Page Six has reached out to Meghan and Harry's reps for comment.