King Charles III’s Coronation Date Was Not Chosen as a Swipe Against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Royal Author Says

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published 15 October 2022

Upon learning of the date of King Charles III’s upcoming coronation on May 6, 2023, astute royal followers generally had one thought: that’s Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s fourth birthday.

Especially with the ongoing tensions between Charles and his younger son, Prince Harry, the date raised questions—was this a slight to the Duke of Sussex and his family?

Absolutely not, says royal author Tom Bower, who tells Page Six it’s “nonsense” to believe the Palace intentionally chose May 6 as a dig at Harry, wife Meghan Markle, and their children Archie and Lilibet.

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“Archie’s birthday was the last thing they thought about,” says Bower, author of Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors. “The date was chosen because it’s just before the State Opening of Parliament and Charles will want to appear as king with his crown and the whole ceremonial [robes].”

The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event that formally marks the beginning of a session of Parliament, Page Six reports, and always includes a speech from the throne, known as the King’s (or, prior to her death, the Queen’s) speech. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth opened every session during her historic 70-year reign, save for three—including 2022—when she was too frail to attend. (Charles read the speech in her place.)

“They looked at what was happening in Britain,” Bower says. “They didn’t look at what was happening in Montecito [California, where the Sussexes reside]. The idea that anyone was concerned with that is nonsense.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.