royal family
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: (L-R) Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. Samir Hussein/WireImage

KEY POINTS

  • A royal author joked that the royal family may have tried to make the coronation seem unappealing to Meghan Markle
  • Tom Bower suggested that the royals may have told Prince Harry's wife she "wouldn't be in the spotlight"
  • The journalist said he thinks "everyone" in the firm is "delighted" that Markle isn't attending the ceremony

The British royal family is likely pleased that Meghan Markle is not joining Prince Harry at King Charles III's upcoming coronation, a royal expert has claimed.

Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that Prince Harry will attend his father's coronation in London next month sans his wife and children.

Former BBC journalist and investigative reporter Tom Bower weighed in on the Sussexes' coronation decision, telling Page Six that he thinks "everyone's delighted she's not coming." International Business Times could not independently verify his claims.

The royal biographer went on to joke that the royal family may have made the crowning ceremony seem unappealing to Markle so she would skip the historic event.

"They made sure that she wasn't going to come by making sure that she was told she'd have to curtsy three times, that she wouldn't be in the spotlight, that she wouldn't play any part in the whole thing and that if she came, they'd be put in row 54 in the back behind the column," the "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors" author joked.

Bower's comments came after he claimed during a recent interview with Dan Wootton on GB News that he never expected Markle to attend King Charles' coronation because he believes the Duchess of Sussex "doesn't want to be in Britain" and "doesn't want to be part of the royal family."

He also suggested that the royals did not guarantee the former actress a "spotlight in the front row" and that Markle did not want to take part if she wouldn't be "prominent."

The royal author went on to claim that Markle "never wants" to curtsy to Queen Consort Camilla, Kate Middleton and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, British socialite and royal pundit Lady Colin Campbell suggested during a GB News appearance that Markle had wanted to be present at the coronation but ultimately chose not to go because her demands for attending were not met.

Campbell suggested that Markle was likely worried that she was going to be seated in the bleachers, making her "loss of stature" apparent.

"Well, I'll tell you what it tells me, and I've spoken to people who know them very well. It tells me, and I'm just going to speak for myself, that she was very nervous. She actually did want to come, but she was blocked at every turn with all of her demands," Campbell claimed.

"She was hoping to flaunt herself, and she was blocked at every turn. She took the decision upon the advice of her advisers, her money-making advisers, that if she came, she would have to diminish her brand even further than it has already been diminished and she and Harry are in big trouble as a brand," the pundit alleged.

Eloise Parker, a New York-based editor and broadcast journalist specializing in entertainment, lifestyle and the British royals, also suggested that there's likely some "relief" on Prince William and Middleton's part that Markle isn't attending King Charles' coronation.

"I think there's bound to be some relief from William and Kate that Meghan won't be attending the coronation simply because less emphasis is going to be on them, who's looking where, who's lip reading, what's going on between them," she told Entertainment Tonight.

The royal expert continued, "There's such a fever of interest in these relationships and the truth is we're never going to see a 'Real Housewives' moment between these women. Everything is going to be kept firmly under wraps and I think for Kate, the fact that Meghan isn't attending, helps her keep it that way."

King Charles will be crowned alongside his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, at Westminster Abbey on May 6, the same day as the fourth birthday of Markle and Prince Harry's son Prince Archie.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 03: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. Karwai Tang/WireImage