Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City
Reuters

KEY POINTS

  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's rep said there's no update about their attendance at King Charles' coronation
  • Royal expert Christopher Andersen explained why Prince Harry should be present at his father's big event
  • Andersen suggested that the Sussexes will receive a "frosty" reception if they attend

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, could still decide to attend his father's upcoming coronation together despite their silence on the question of their attendance, a royal expert has suggested.

Last week, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the BBC that "there was no update" on whether the couple would be flying from California to London to witness King Charles' coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

Journalist and royal author Christopher Andersen weighed in on the fact that the couple has yet to confirm whether or not they will be present during the coronation, telling Fox News Digital that "it's not too late for Harry to put on his big boy pants and go."

"This is his father, after all, and there will be no more important occasion in Charles' life," the author of "The King: The Life of Charles III" added.

Andersen went on to say that he believes Prince Harry will likely show up with Markle if he does decide to attend the May ceremony.

"I think if Harry goes, he will want Meghan to attend as well. Going solo might imply that Harry has chosen his family over his wife, and above all else, the Sussexes want to make it clear they are an unbreakable team," the royal expert told the outlet.

"It is a complicated situation made all the more vexing by each side's intransigence," Andersen added. "The king and Prince William have shown little interest lately in repairing the royal family's relationship with Harry and Meghan, and the Sussexes have responded in kind. Everyone is digging in for now, but that doesn't mean that at the last-minute Harry and Meghan will decide that, at least in terms of optics, it looks better for them to be the 'bigger' people in this dispute — the less petty ones, in other words — and show up."

Andersen said he believes that if they do decide to attend, Prince Harry and Markle will have to be willing to "stiff-upper-lip it" as they will likely receive a "frosty" reception from the royals during the coronation.

On March 5, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that Prince Harry received "email correspondence" from King Charles' office about the ceremony.

"I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty's office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time," the Sussexes' spokesperson told The Sunday Times.

Tensions between the Sussexes and the royal family were believed to have worsened after the release of the couple's "Harry & Meghan" Netflix docuseries and Prince Harry's controversial memoir "Spare."

Prince Harry alleged, among other things, that his brother Prince William physically attacked him during an argument about Markle and that Kate Middleton balked at the idea of lending the former "Suits" star her lip gloss.

Harry and Meghan moved to California in 2020 after dramatically quitting royal life
AFP