Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being urged to steer clear of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III next year following backlash over their newly-released Netflix docuseries.
The Duke of Sussex’s father acceded to the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with the coronation slated to take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 2023. Now, a chorus of voices from politicians and senior military figures to historians, believe that the way things stand, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ought to be excluded from the ceremony.
"If they dislike the Royal Family so much why would they attend the Coronation?" former British Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith was cited by media as saying.
"They shouldn’t come to the Coronation. They categorically shouldn’t come. They make money out of selling their family down the river. I think it should be made clear that the British people do not want them there," Tory veteran David Mellor added, referring to the couple as a "sad pair" who might be "booed at" if they did put in an appearance at the crowning.
Tory MP Bob Seely suggested the couple wanted to attend the coronation only to "monetize it afterwards."
Historian Lady Antonia Fraser added that on the day of the coronation King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, should be in the centre of attention. Accordingly, the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might result in the media "wasting time on them".
"They should stay holding hands in Hollywood," quipped the British author.
Another historian, Lord Andrew Roberts, pointed out several reasons for excluding Prince Harry and his spouse.
"Queen Caroline wasn’t invited to George IV’s Coronation, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor weren’t at George VI’s in 1937, and Elizabeth II’s German relations weren’t invited in 1953, so there’s plenty of precedent for not inviting people who would be a distraction to and detraction from the focus of the great day."
The British public appears to be just as unsympathetic towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with a recent UK survey revealing that 44 percent believe they should be stripped of their titles. Furthermore, according to 42 percent of the people surveyed Prince Harry - fifth in line to the British throne - should be excluded from the line of succession.
Nearly one third believe that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should not be allowed to attend the Coronation of King Charles III.
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, left the royal fold in early 2020 and quit as “senior” royals driven by a desire to ostensibly shield themselves from relentless tabloid scrutiny, seeking financial independence and the chance to raise their children in private.
However, it’s hard to believe that they do not in fact crave to remain in the spotlight. Netflix’s two-part “Harry & Meghan” documentary is a case in point. The series, co-produced by the couple, has been divided into two separate segments: Volume I (covering episodes 1-3) was released on Netflix on December 8, and Volume II (covering episodes 4-6) is scheduled to premiere on December 15.
The production, filmed before the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, sported an onscreen message that read:
"This is a firsthand account of Harry and Meghan’s story, told with never before seen personal archive,” adding that members of the royal family “declined to comment.”
The first episodes narrate the story of how the couple met, fell in love, and wed, while purportedly becoming fodder for Britain’s paparazzi. Prince Harry likened the media harassment of his wife to what his own mother, late Princess Diana, was forced to endure, right up until her tragic death in a 1997 car crash in Paris after being followed by paparazzi.
In the wake of the three first episodes, numerous media reports have dismissed the documentary that “contains no new revelations," with some speculating that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared determined to “fuel the media hype” they had always faulted for driving them away from the royal fold in the first place.