Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Son Archie Turns 4 Amid King Charles III's Coronation

While Prince Harry attended King Charles III's coronation on May 6, Meghan Markle stayed home in the United States to celebrate their son Archie's birthday.

By Jess Cohen May 06, 2023 12:46 PMTags
Watch: Why Meghan Markle Isn't Attending The Royal Coronation

It was a day of royal celebrations, in the U.K. and the U.S.

In addition to King Charles III's coronation in London, it was also his grandson Archie Harrison's birthday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son turned 4 on May 6, marking the milestone alongside his mom and sister, Lilibet Diana, at the family's home in Southern California. (The trio stayed back in the States for the occasion, while the Duke of Sussex took a brief trip overseas for his father's major milestone.) 

A rep for the couple confirmed Harry's plans to attend the coronation in April after months of speculation about his plans. 

In March, it was revealed that both Harry and Meghan had received "email correspondence" about the royal event. However, a spokesperson for the duo told the Associated Press, "An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time."

There's been rumored tension between the pair and the royal family for years, specifically after Harry and Meghan officially stepped down as senior royals in Jan. 2020. Since then, both Harry and Meghan have opened up about their struggles with the royal institution, including in their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan and their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, as well as the duke's recent memoir, Spare.

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All About King Charles III's Reign

Earlier this year, Harry—who detailed his estrangement from brother Prince William and their father in his book—addressed potentially being called out by critics for invading his family's privacy.

"That would be the accusation," he told ITV in January, "from the people that don't understand or don't want to believe that my family have been briefing the press."

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala

At the time, Harry was unsure of his attendance at the coronation. However, he made it clear that the ball was in his family's court.

"There's a lot to be discussed," he noted, "and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it."

Back in September, Charles appeared to extend an olive branch to the couple in his first address to the nation as the new sovereign.

"I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan," the King said, "as they continue to build their lives overseas."

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