Meghan Markle ‘will do something to distract’ from King Charles’s Coronation

Prince Archie’s fourth birthday falls on the same day as King Charles’s Coronation, but that won’t stop the youngster from getting all the attention on his big day.

The young prince and his sister, Princess Lilibet, aged one, will not be attending the historic Coronation event at Westminster Abbey on May 6 due to their ages.

While Prince Harry will fly to the UK to watch his father crowned, his children will stay at home in California to enjoy the celebrations with their mum Meghan Markle.

It will be a very different story at their home to the pomp and ceremony of the Coronation, as Archie will be having an “intimate” birthday party, the Mirror reports.

While it’s likely that Harry and Meghan will pay tribute to Archie and release a new photo to celebrate his birthday, it is unclear how the rest of the Royal Family will mark the occasion.

Star-studded guest list

People around the world will be celebrating the Coronation, but only a small group will be at Archie’s intimate party.

Harry is reportedly attending just the Coronation ceremony itself at 11am, before jetting back to the US on a commercial flight so he can spend time with his son.

A source close to the family has said Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, will be at the bash, along with Archie’s pre-school friends and some celebrity pals of the couple.

Among the celebrity guests who may rock up are chat show legend Oprah Winfrey, tennis ace Serena Williams, and presenter Ellen DeGeneres with her wife Portia de Rossi.

“Harry’s going to make every effort to get back in time for Archie’s birthday,” the insider told Page Six. “It’s going to be an intimate party, it’s not going to be like ‘My Super Sweet 16’ or Portia de Rossi’s 50th!”

There will be lots of fun to be had for the children as the couple’s grounds in California extend across seven acres, complete with a playground featuring two slides, a climbing frame, a tightrope, a helter-skelter, and two types of climbing wall.

Meghan also loves baking at home with Archie, so will no doubt be planning a big cake for her son to enjoy, perhaps even using lemons plucked from their own garden.

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Upstaging Charles

There are rumoured fears that the Sussexes could “upstage” King Charles’s historic day by going large on the celebrations for Prince Archie.

Royal columnist Lee Cohen has claimed Harry and Meghan could risk overshadowing Charles’s big moment, including the release of a birthday announcement just hours before the Coronation.

It is traditional for royal households to release photo portraits on a family member’s birthday – with the Sussexes doing this on every previous occasion for their son.

Cohen said: “It’s terribly petty, but the Sussexes, who no longer have their royal platform, seem to relish any opportunity to attempt to upstage a royal occasion. It’s not as if the Royal Family seek occasions to upstage the antics of the Sussexes, quite the opposite.”

However, many people would love to see a new picture of the young prince, and it’s thought it won’t really have a major impact on the Coronation.

According to MailOnline, some officials at the Palace were left feeling uncomfortable last year due to a lack of up-to-date photos of Archie to accompany his birthday messages on social media, instead using photos from just after he was born or from his official christening.

A source said: “The truth is the Prince of Wales has barely seen his grandson twice since he was born. In fact, every member of Harry’s family can easily count on one hand the number of times they saw Archie after he was born and before the family left the UK. It’s a very sad situation.”

Family Zoom call

With relations between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals at an all-time low, and with the busy Coronation day taking precedence, it seems doubtful that there will be a family video call.

In 2020, Archie did have a Zoom call with the late Queen, who wished her great-grandson a happy birthday when he turned two.

According to Vanity Fair, the call took place just before tea time when the Queen takes tea thanks to the eight-hour time difference.

Archie’s previous birthdays

Archie’s first birthday was a family affair, with Harry and Meghan celebrating at home with grandma Doria.

In an incredibly sweet snap, Archie can be seen in his high chair wearing a yellow party hat.

“They are celebrating as a family focused on Archie and being together,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. “They’ll have a smash cake and Zooms with family and friends. It’s been beautiful weather, so perhaps a family stroll with the dogs.”

For Archie’s second birthday in 2021, Meghan and Harry shared a new photo of their son on their Archewell Foundation website.

The little prince was holding a bouquet of birthday balloons, and it came with a request for fans to donate to COVID vaccine equity for vulnerable families around the world.

Last year, the Sussexes shared a brand new photo of Archie and he received birthday messages from the Royal Family.

On the official Royal Family Twitter account, a picture of Archie as a newborn with his parents and grandmother Doria meeting the Queen and the late Prince Philip was posted.

It was accompanied by the message: “Wishing Archie Mountbatten-Windsor a very happy 3rd Birthday!” It also featured a birthday cake emoji.

Meanwhile, William and Kate opted to share a family photo taken at Archie’s christening, which also featured Charles, Camilla and two of the late Princess Diana’s sisters.

Their message read: “Wishing Archie a very happy 3rd Birthday today” followed by a birthday cake and balloon emojis.

When it came to Archie’s grandfather Charles, his Clarence House Twitter account shared the same picture posted by the Queen’s account.

His message to his grandson read: “Happy Birthday Archie!”

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