Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s big coronation loss: ‘What they wanted wasn’t achieved’

The couple gave the royal family a coronation ultimatum earlier this year – and with just weeks to go until the big day, it’s fallen flat.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Picture: Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images

With just over a fortnight to go before the coronation, a “close friend” of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s has admitted the couple hasn’t achieved what they’d set out to do.

After months of speculation, it was revealed last week that Harry would be attending King Charles’ big day alone, while his wife would remain at their home in California with their two young children.

It followed the Duke of Sussex’s public declaration in an ITV interview in January that he wanted his family to reach out for reconciliation talks with he and Meghan before he’d commit to attending the historic event at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then,” he told ITV’s Tom Bradby when asked about it.

“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’re willing to sit down and talk about it.”

Harry told Bradby ‘the ball is in their court’ back in January. Picture: ITV

With just a handful of days to go, it’s been widely reported that simply hasn’t happened – and that while Charles and Harry recently had a private phone conversation, the “accountability” he’d called for doesn’t seem to have eventuated.

A “close friend” admitted to People magazine that the couple has fallen short of their goal.

“It’s become so personal. What they wanted wasn’t achieved,” the insider said. “But at the end of the day, he’s going there to support his dad.”

And while a palace insider recently confirmed that things are “strained” between Harry, Charles and Prince William, it would still be the King’s “first wish” for his son to join the family at the coronation, claims a separate royal source.

Harry will attend the coronation without his wife. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Sussexes’ friend also opened up about Meghan’s reasons for staying away, revealing the media backlash she’d faced at the Queen’s funeral last year had been a major factor.

“Meghan wants to be there to support her father-in-law, but at the same time, the scrutiny she receives outweighs the support,” the insider said.

“There’s always going to be that other side challenging their reasoning, and who wants to put themselves in that position?”

Harry himself will only have a “quick” trip to the UK, with reports he will miss a “key coronation event” emerging today.

According to The Sun, the Duke will rush back to his Montecito home just hours after watching his father being crowned, and skip the coronation concert the following day.

The line-up for the big event includes Katy Perry, Take That and Lionel Richie, but Harry is understood to be eager to return home as soon as possible in order to celebrate his son Archie’s fourth birthday, which also falls on May 6.

Originally published as Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s big coronation loss: ‘What they wanted wasn’t achieved’