Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received an invite to Queen Elizabeth II’s pre-funeral reception at Buckingham Palace but based on the latest report by Telegraph, the couple have been uninvited from the event.
The grand event, hosted by none other than King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, was meant for world leaders and foreign royals. However, they’ve been informed that only working British royals should attend.
The outlet further stated that it’s still unclear how Harry and Meghan were ever invited because royal aides had been insisting, they weren’t expected to be there. Sources also told the outlet that they were “baffled” by the mixup.
Meanwhile, among those expected to attend are President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. They’ll arrive in London before the late queen’s state funeral on Monday. The queen passed away on September 8 after a 70-year reign. She was 96.
Though they were uninvited to the said event, Harry and Meghan have been in the UK, mourning the queen together with other members of the royal family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton. The couple were also present in public outings where they were seen reconnecting with the British people.
However, they raised eyebrows during the monarch’s procession on September 14 because they’re not working members of the royal family anymore. Further, they were holding each other’s hands and this public display of affection was a “breach” of protocol.
Inbaal Honigman, body language expert, defended the couple by telling The Daily Express, “Harry and Meghan are grieving relatives and are under no obligation to follow royal protocol.”
In January 2020, the couple gave up their royal duties as Duke and Duchess of Sussex after being under media scrutiny and issues within the family. They relocated to California following their decision. They share two children: Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 15 months.
In addition to the mixup regarding their attendance to the pre-funeral reception, there was also the issue about Harry’s right to wear a military uniform during his stay in the UK. However, he was finally granted permission by his father, King Charles III, to wear it during a Saturday night vigil for his grandmother.
