A chorus of respected former British politicians, military figures, and historians shared a message for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Do not attend King Charles’ coronation next year.
The couple’s explosive Netflix documentary released Thursday should be the final straw marking the end of their relationship with the Royal Family, several prominent UK figures told the Daily Mail Friday.
Former Cabinet Minister and Tory veteran David Mellor said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “categorically shouldn’t come” to Westminster Abbey when Charles is crowned on May 6.
“They make money out of selling their family down the river. I think it should be made clear that the British people do not want them there,” said Mellor.
The former Cabinet Minister added that the Brits “would be perfectly entitled to boo if the couple did turn up. They are a sad pair and there is no hope for them on their current course.”
Fellow former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith questioned why the couple would even be interested in attending the Coronation “if they dislike the Royal Family so much.”
Author and historian Lady Antonia Fraser said she hopes the former royals stay away so they don’t draw attention away from King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
“It worries me that if they come the cameras might waste time on them. They should stay holding hands in Hollywood,” Fraser said.
The scathing criticism comes days after the first three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary dropped and drew thousands of viewers.
The couple made several allegations against the Royal Family, including that they held an “unconscious bias” around Markle’s race and that King Charles did not adequately care for Harry after Diana’s death.
Harry also seemingly made a jab that Prince William did not marry Princess Kate out of love, but because she fit the royal image well.
Dai Davies, former head of Royal protection, said the couple’s allegations could pose a security risk for the Royal Family, which historically kept personal matters close to the chest.
“We don’t know what poison will come out next, but when considering what has been said, be it half-truth, lie or mockery of the Royal Family, how can anyone want them to be invited to the Coronation?” Davies said.
“The presentation of the monarchy and the Commonwealth as being racist is an insult to Britain and Britons,” he said. “The false narrative presented in this series could give rise to people with a fixation on the Royal Family to enact their fantasies.”
According to eminent historian Lord Andrew Roberts, members of the royal family have not been invited to Coronations in the past, making it easy for the Royal Family to exclude Harry and Meghan, who decidedly left the family on their own accord in 2020.
“Queen Caroline wasn’t invited to George IV’s Coronation, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor weren’t at George VI’s in 1937, and Elizabeth II’s German relations weren’t invited in 1953, so there’s plenty of precedent for not inviting people who would be a distraction to and detraction from the focus of the great day,” he said.
It is not clear whether Harry and Meghan will be welcome at the Coronation or to any future royal event, Tom Bower told Page Six. The couple may not even be welcome in the United Kingdom following the Netflix series.
Chris Parry, a retired Rear Admiral, believes the couple “forfeited their rights to be part of the Royal Family anymore.”
“Frankly, they have shown themselves to be unreliable in terms of recording things and reporting them,” he added. “The Coronation is another red carpet event for them – and they are likely to tread and tell. They are not consistent with the dignity and the importance of the occasion.”
Tory MP Bob Seely said, “If I were them I’d stay away – but they obviously want to attend and monetize it afterwards.”
