Oprah Winfrey wants Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to do whatever is best for them. The television legend made a guest appearance on CBS Mornings with her longtime friend, co-host Gayle King on Thursday, who asked Oprah what she thought about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending King Charles III’s coronation this May. (They just received their invitations.)
“It’s been reported that Harry and Meghan have received an invitation to the coronation,” said King. “Do you think they should go? Do you think they should not go? Is it something you’d like to comment on? I’m listening.”
While Oprah noted that the couple has not asked for her opinion on the matter, she replied, “I think they should do what they feel is best for them and for their family. That’s what I think. That’s what the bottom line – it comes down to. What do you feel like is the right thing for you?”
King attended Markle’s baby shower for Archie in 2019, while Oprah attended the couple’s wedding in 2018.
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the couple told The Sunday Times, “I can confirm The Duke has received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
In February, a palace insider reportedly told People that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will, in fact, be invited to the royal affair after months of tension and speculation. However, a source close to the couple has shared that they had yet to receive an invitation at that time.
After taking a step back from their official senior royal duties, the Sussex family relocated to Markle’s native California in 2020.
In March 2021, Oprah’s bombshell interview with the couple aired. The Duke and Duchess detailed a lack of support, including security protection, and when Markle experienced thoughts of self-harm. Prince Harry alleged that an unnamed member of the royal family voiced “concerns” over “how dark his [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born.”
Since the interview, the couple’s Netflix documentary Harry + Meghan, and the release of Prince Harry’s bombshell tell-all memoir Spare in January, tensions within the royal family have hit an all-time high, and there has reportedly been no advancement in mending fences.
According to the People, King Charles is anxious for the situation to “calm down” before his ascension to the throne. A source close to the royals said, “It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don’t sort it out, it will always be part of the King’s reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue.”
“I want a family. Not an institution,” said Prince Harry. “They feel as though it’s better to keep us, somehow, as the villains,” referring to the royal family. He added, “They’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile.”
The Duke spoke about his relationship with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, William, the Prince of Wales. “I would like to get my father back,” Prince Harry said. “I would like to have my brother back.”
Watch this space ahead of King Charles III’s official coronation on May 6.
