- Prince Harry confirmed he's going to King Charles' coronation on Saturday, but Meghan Markle isn't.
- Experts told Insider Meghan faced a near-impossible situation and would've been "damned" either way.
Less than a month before King Charles' coronation, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry finally gave an answer to the much-anticipated question of whether they are attending. The answer? Kind of.
In a statement sent to Insider in April, Buckingham Palace said it was "pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey," taking place on Saturday.
Notably, the statement continued by saying that "the Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
While the statement finally put an end to speculation on whether the couple would show, it did open up questions as to why Meghan chose to not go. More than that, it left the couple's decision open to interpretation.
Ultimately, the Sussexes' decision to attend the coronation was no doubt a complicated one. Insider spoke to Kristen Meinzer, a royal watcher, Marlene Koenig, a royal historian, and Eric Schiffer, Chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, about their views on Meghan and Harry's response and whether they think their decision was the right one.
Meghan's decision to not attend the coronation in favor of her son's birthday is brilliant, some experts say
It's been speculated that Meghan chose to stay in California since Prince Archie's 4th birthday falls on the same day as Charles' coronation. Royal author Katie Nicholl previously told Entertainment Weekly that there was no malice in the decision to have the coronation take place on Archie's birthday.
"Having the coronation on Archie's birthday is definitely not a snub. I think it's very much a happy coincidence," she said. "Obviously, a huge amount of planning has to go into an important moment in history, such as a coronation, and the royal calendar is full of anniversaries and birthdays."
In view of it being their son's milestone, Meinzer told Insider it makes perfect sense for one parent to be around to celebrate the birthday and the other to fulfill their royal obligation.
"I think the decision for Harry to go, and for Meghan to stay home with the children on Archie's birthday is a brilliant way to split the difference," Meinzer said. The Sussexes choosing to divide familial and royal responsibilities reflects how they work as a united couple when faced with tough choices.
"As I've said in the past, the primary benefit of attending is the optics; of looking as though they're continuing to do their best on their end — even if the royal family isn't always doing their best on their end," Meinzer added. "But I've always maintained that the Sussexes must also do what's best for their own little family and their own mental health. It sounds like that's what they'll be doing."
Meghan skipping the coronation will have 'negligible' negative effects on her and Harry's brands, a PR expert says
Schiffer, a public relations specialist, told Insider the negative impact of Meghan's choice will be "negligible," especially in the United States.
"The impact to Meghan on a global scale in not attending is negligible and won't damage her brand outside of the UK," Schiffer told Insider. "Within the UK, there is a contingent that is anti-Meghan and this becomes a further log thrown to the fire to power additional comments that are going to be unfavorable."
Schiffer said people who already have negative opinions of Meghan may view her not attending the coronation "as a massive, repulsive sign of disrespect," but he doesn't see the decision adding in any significant way to negative sentiments about her or Prince Harry.
"Meghan ultimately has to follow her truth and do what's right for her, and we don't know all the inner details," Shiffer continued. "I suspect that there is a message and at the core, it's one of setting boundaries, but perhaps also being supportive of her husband."
Meghan's decision to stay in California also allows the focus to be solely on Charles
Another positive is that the focus among the press and the public will be purely on Charles on what is presumably the most important day of his life.
Koenig said Harry and Meghan made the "right decision for the moment" in view of that, although she added that the couple faced an impossible decision: "There's an expression you're damned if you do. You're damned if you don't."
However, Koenig said Meghan's absence will push tabloid reports to put the spotlight on her father-in-law instead of printing reports speculating on what Meghan will be wearing or where she'll be seated in Westminster Abbey.
"There may have been too much focus on them in the tabloid media, like, would they have been booed?" Koenig said as an example. "They'd probably be sitting in a different place and there's the question of whether they are wearing tiaras as it is unlikely she would be loaned one."
Again, taking Meghan out of the equation removes the possibility of such speculation even being possible, Koenig said, which will work in favor of Charles and the rest of the extended royal family.
The coronation is not a time for reconciliation, experts say
The past year has cemented long-held speculation of a rift between the Sussexes and the royal family.
From the couple's "Harry & Meghan" Netflix docuseries to the intimate and painful revelations in Harry's memoir, "Spare," the public has now been allowed insight into the fractured state of the Sussexes' relationships with royals such as Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton.
Although there has been talk of reconciliation in the past, which would likely require all members of the family – Meghan included – to be on board, Koenig doesn't believe that the coronation would've been the right situation for it.
"This is not the time for reconciliation. This is about Charles. This is his day," she said. However, Koenig added that Harry's attendance, however brief it may end up being, is a positive sign.
"For Harry, it's far more important," Koenig said. "He's recognized that it's important for him to be there for his father."
"It's his father's coronation, the most important event in his father's life and it should've been a no-brainer," she added.
"Harry going there is a wise move on a personal as well as brand level," Schiffer agreed.