After weeks of speculation, Prince Harry has made the decision to attend the coronation of his father, King Charles III, at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
However, his wife, Meghan Markle, will not be joining him and has opted to remain in Montecito, California.
Harry’s jaunt across the pond promises to be fleeting and comes at a time marked by rising tensions with his brother, Prince William, and his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales.
Sources from London indicate that several royal family members are likely to maintain their distance from Harry, particularly following his critical remarks about the royals chronicled in his controversial memoir, “Spare.”
Since the advent of “Spare” and their much-publicized Netflix documentary last November, the couple has seen their popularity plummet in the U.K. As a result, Harry and Meghan have emerged as two of the most polarizing figures in British celebrity culture.
Their reputation across the ocean hasn’t fared any better, with satirical programs like “South Park” delivering rather scathing critiques of the duo.
Meghan’s choice to sit out the coronation could be partly attributed to her concern over the reception she might receive in London.
The possibility of being met with jeers could seriously damage her carefully crafted public image, which is built on a foundation of celebrity authority.
A further humiliation for Meghan lies in their current designation as “non-working royals,” which strips them of the privilege to appear on Buckingham Palace’s balcony during the coronation festivities.
Being demoted to this status is likely not what they envisioned when they stepped back from royal duties.
The past year has seen a downward spiral unfold for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as their criticisms of the monarchy have sparked backlash in both the U.S. and U.K. Their foray into political activism has also led to disenchantment among many Americans, further eroding their audience.
The quick fall from grace of Harry and Meghan has been stark, sparking calls from some members of Parliament in the U.K. to revoke their royal titles.
Although King Charles has not vocally addressed this matter, reports indicate that discussions surrounding it have reached the upper echelons of the palace.
The couple has undeniably played a significant role in fueling this rift.
Their infamous 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey may have resonated with the Hollywood crowd, yet it failed to land well in Britain.
Accusations of racism aimed at the royal household have only exacerbated tensions and tarnished Harry and Meghan’s standing.
Currently, the Sussexes find themselves almost entirely isolated from the broader royal family and regarded as outcasts in the eyes of many Britons.
Although King Charles has attempted to reach out by including Harry in the coronation, any hope of reconciliation with William remains nonexistent.
Realistically, Harry and Meghan have limited prospects of carving out a meaningful role in the royal family’s future.
Their titles and the attached prestige mean little when they are effectively treated as exiles in California.
It seems their focus will shift to amassing wealth through lucrative media contracts and new ventures.
Perhaps they’ll join the cultural elite in Montecito, but their relevance within the British royal narrative appears virtually nonexistent.
If their intention was to destabilize the royal family and the centuries-old institution of monarchy, they have fallen short of their goal.
In fact, the very efforts they undertook to carve out a new path have backfired tremendously.
The saga surrounding Harry and Meghan reads like a modern tragedy, woven with threads of self-importance, misplaced ambition, and unabashed greed.
It’s disheartening to witness the decline of a once-admired couple who have burned bridges in both America and England, all in pursuit of a perilous crusade.
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