Where was Duchess Meghan? Why she wasn't at King Charles' coronation

Charles Trepany, USA TODAY

May 7, 2023 at 2:34 AM·4 min read

Saturday isn't just a big milestone for King Charles – it's an important day for his grandson, Prince Archie.

While her husband Prince Harry attended the coronation of his father King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla in London, Duchess Meghan stayed in California to celebrate Archie's fourth birthday, which falls on the same day.

Meghan and Harry also share a 1-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet, who also stayed home on the West Coast with her mother and older brother.

Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed Harry's attendance to USA TODAY in April. Harry and Meghan's spokesperson said the month prior that Harry had received "email correspondence'' from the king's office about the coronation.

"An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time," the couple's office said in a statement.

More Everything that happened at King Charles III's coronation

Who's attended the coronation?

King Charles' sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were in attendance, as were Princess Kate and children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Harry's attendance marked the first meeting between Charles and his younger son since Harry deepened the rift within the House of Windsor by revealing alleged family secrets in his bestselling book, "Spare.''

For Saturday's ceremony, Harry was seated in the third row, two rows behind William and Kate and their children Charlotte and Louis. Harry sat in the same row as his cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

Harry was noticeably absent when Charles and Camilla greeted a massive crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The king and queen were joined by William, Catherine and their children ? including George, a Page of Honor for the event.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

Why didn't Meghan attend the coronation?

Rachel Bowie, co-host of "Royally Obsessed," a Gallery Media Group podcast, says while there are "many factors that likely went into" Meghan’s decision to not attend, being present for Archie's birthday and avoiding media scrutiny were probably top considerations.

"The royals can choose the coronation date, but Archie can't choose his birthday," Bowie says. "From the parent perspective, which Meghan makes very clear that’s one of her key roles and the thing that she values most, … that’s something that she likely doesn’t want to miss."

"There’s an element of self-preservation too," Bowie adds. "Just seeing the vitriol from the British tabloids that has been expended or directed her way – whether she's going, whether she's not going – so it's a move that protects her mental health as well."

How have the royals celebrated Archie's birthday in the past?

It is tradition for members of the royal family to share new photos of their young children in the days leading up to their birthdays, as a way of celebrating and offering the public a new glimpse at the growing royals, who rarely make public appearances.

Since stepping down as senior members of the royal family and moving to California, Harry and Meghan have been selective about the images they share of Archie and Lilibet.

Last year, members of the royal family publicly wished Archie a happy birthday via social media.

"Wishing Archie a very happy 3rd Birthday today," Prince William and Duchess Kate's social media pages wrote, adding balloon and cake emojis. The official account for Queen Elizabeth II shared a similar message. Both shared old photos of a newborn Archie with members of his extended family.

For Archie's second birthday, Harry and Meghan released a statement on their foundation website, Archewell, urging donations for vaccine equity around the world. They said they were "deeply touched" by many of their fans' previous donations to charities on behalf of their son.

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"We remain incredibly grateful," the statement said. "We cannot think of a more resonant way to honor our son’s birthday. … Even a small contribution can have a ripple effect."

Later that day, the Sussexes also posted a black-and-white picture of Archie on their website, which soon turned up on a fan Instagram account, showing him from behind holding a bunch of balloons.

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, Edward Segarra, Naledi Ushe