According to a new report, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex initially received an invite to the grand event, which is hosted by King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, only to get the invite revoked.
- September 17, 2022
AceShowbiz - Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are no longer invited to Queen Elizabeth II's pre-funeral reception at Buckingham Palace. According to a new report, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex initially received an invite to the grand event, which is hosted by King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, only to get the invite revoked.
A report from the U.K.'s Telegraph noted that Harry and Meghan have now been informed that only working British royals are welcomed at the event, which will also be attended by world leaders and foreign royals. "This is one of the last moments for Her Majesty the Queen as opposed to the first for His Majesty," a spokesperson for King Charles III said, per The Sun.
The outlet went on to share that it remained unclear why Harry and Meghan were ever invited in the first place as royal aides insisted that they are not expected to attend. Sources told the site that the pair, who share son Archie and daughter Lilibet together, "appeared" to be "baffled" by the mistake. The couple has yet to comment on the report.
The exclusion comes as surprise as the family has been putting on a united front as they are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8 at the age of 96. Two days after the passing, Meghan and Harry joined Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton to greet mourners outside Windsor Castle.
The Sussexes were spotted waiting in their car on September 13 as Queen Elizabeth II's coffin made its way to Buckingham Palace in London from the RAF Northolt Airforce Station in Ruislip. Additionally, they were standing behind the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall at the Service for the Reception of Her Majesty's Coffin at Westminster Hall in London on the next day.
Harry and Meghan, who stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California in 2020, recently were criticized for holding hands at the monarch's procession. While their display of affection was a "breach" of protocol, it should be noted that the couple is no longer working members of British royal family.
"Harry and Meghan are grieving relatives and are under no obligation to follow royal protocol," body language expert Inbaal Honigman told the British newspaper The Daily Express in defense of the Sussexes.
