Why Meghan Markle Isn't Attending King Charles III's Coronation With Prince Harry

The official guest list for King Charles III's coronation in May has been solidified further. 
 
Nearly three weeks before the May 6 ceremony is set to take place, Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry's attendance for the festivities, noting that Meghan Markle will stay in California with the couple's two kids, 3-year-old Archie Harrison, and 22-month-old Lilibet Diana on what will be Archie's 4th birthday.
 
"The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th," a spokesperson for the couple told E! News in an April 12 statement. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
 
The update on the couple's RSVP comes a little more than a month after their rep confirmed that the pair received "email correspondence" from the King's office about the coronation, during which Queen Consort Camilla will also be crowned.

But at the time, a spokesperson told the Associated Press that "an immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time."

The event is expected to be attended by other members of the royal family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, whose oldest child Prince George, 9, will serve as one of the eight Pages of Honour that will walk the procession inside London's Westminster Abbey.

As for the total number of attendees, there should be quite the audience as the official invitation was sent out to 2,000 guests.

On April 4, Buckingham Palace unveiled the grand invitation for the ceremony, which touted a design that included a nod to Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022.
 
Earlier this year, Harry—who along with Meghan, took a step back from royal duties in 2020—reflected on the possibility of attending his father's coronation on the heels of releasing his explosive memoir, Spare.
 
"There's a lot that can happen between now and then," he said during a January interview with ITV when asked about the May event. "But the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it."