Why were the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “uninvited” to a state reception?
And what does the future hold for the two brothers? Keep watching to find out.
The death of Queen Elizabeth is reuniting the royal family in some pretty significant ways.
Not only have King Charles III, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward welcomed their brother,
Prince Andrew, into the frontline again, but other family members are also stepping up. Prince Harry,
Duke of Sussex, hurried to his grandmother's side after doctors expressed their concern for her.
On top of that, he and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, would reunite with William,
Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales later on. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex supported
each other and openly showed their affection during their grief for the late monarch.
Queen Elizabeth, who was the United Kingdom's longest reigning monarch, will be buried on
Monday, September 19th, and preparations for her funeral are underway. However,
the Brits have celebrated her 70-year reign during a number of public events since her death
on September 8th. One of the biggest tributes to the former queen will be at the state reception.
Per the Daily Mail, King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the event that foreign royals and
world leaders will attend. However, there also appears to be a small change in the guest list.
Apparently, Harry and Meghan can no longer attend the event — but why?
The Daily Mail reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may no longer attend a state
reception for foreign royals, official overseas guests, and world leaders on September 18th.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will welcome the important guests at the Buckingham Palace
reception. Per People, approximately 2,000 people will attend the Westminster Abbey event.
However, the king's son and daughter-in-law may have been uninvited to the reception.
According to the Daily Mail, Harry and Meghan were apparently invited to palace reception
earlier this week. However, it seems as if the invitation was sent in error. The outlet reports
that Buckingham Palace officials have confirmed that only working royals may attend the event.
And for those who haven't been following the antics of the British royal family lately,
the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are definitely no longer working members of the royal family.
To recall, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex,
were no longer deemed working royals by Buckingham Palace back in February 2021.
The palace in a statement, "In stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not
possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit the royal family in early 2020.
They confirmed that they were no longer senior working members of the royal family in 2021,
per AP News. With that, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could no longer use the title "royal
highness" and were cut off from receiving public funding. Harry was stripped of various roles,
such as his position as the captain-general of the Royal Marines, but was still sixth in line
to the throne. However, with the death of his Queen Elizabeth, the Invictus founder
has moved up one place in the pecking order. It appears as if Harry is now on equal footing
as his other royal cousins who are not official working royals. The children of Princess Anne,
Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward are also not senior members of the royal family and are
also unlikely to attend the event. Instead, Queen Elizabeth's eight grandchildren stood vigil around
the former monarch's coffin on the evening of September 17th. Prince Harry joined his brother,
William, Prince of Wales, and cousins Zara Tindall, Peter Philips, Princess Beatrice,
Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn at the
Westminster Abbey. The cousins paid their respects to the beloved former monarch.
While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may not be able to attend the Buckingham Palace
state reception, some royal family members may have gone out of their way for the couple in
the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death. Even though there was a disputed rift between King Charles III
and his youngest son, the king made some concessions toward the Duke of Sussex.
Per the Daily Mail, confusion about the invitation to join the world leaders at the state reception
on September 18th follows King Charles' request for his son to wear his military regalia at the
15-minute vigil at Queen Elizabeth's coffin. Previously, The Guardian reported that only
working royal family members with a military rank, were allowed to wear their uniforms.
However, King Charles intervened to let Harry stand vigil wearing his military uniform.
The king's actions may very well help to help their father-and-son relationship.
William, Prince of Wales also extended the hand of friendship to his brother during the week before
their grandmother's funeral. He asked Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to join him and Catherine,
Princess of Wales on a walkabout near Windsor Castle. The Fab Four reunited
as they paid homage to Queen Elizabeth by meeting crowds of people who had gathered
in the wake of her death. And after all the family drama within the last two years,
it seems old grudges are being put to rest ... for now.