The late Queen Elizabeth would have wanted grandson Prince Harry and his family to attend King Charles' coronation on May 6 – but knew the Sussexes had to "do their own thing".

Buckingham Palace announced last week that the Duke of Sussex would be attending the historic ceremony alone, with Meghan Markle and the couple's children remaining in Montecito.

But according to Gertrude Daly of Gerts' Royals, Her Majesty, who would have been 97 today (April 21), but sadly passed away last September, would have wanted the couple to attend, even if out of "obligation".

READ MORE: Prince Harry given 'olive branch' as Meghan Markle to 'appear' in coronation

"I think if Queen Elizabeth were alive, she would tell Prince Harry that he has an obligation to attend the coronation," Daly told the Daily Star.

"If Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were still working royals, it would be 100% expected that they both would attend the Coronation.

"The only reason Meghan’s absence is tolerated is because of the couple’s poor relationship with the royal family and the media drama surrounding the Sussexes.

"I think that Queen Elizabeth would be understanding of the Sussexes' decision given their current relationships with the royal family. But in an ideal world, certainly, Queen Elizabeth would have preferred the Sussexes to attend together and to remain as working royals. Queen Elizabeth high values family unity. But was also understanding of people’s needs to do their own thing."

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The Sussexes received an official invitation to the coronation earlier this year but took their time deciding whether or not they would make an appearance at the event.

It was initially expected both the Duke and Duchess would attend, with opinion divided over whether their presence would have a positive influence on proceedings or would wreak havoc on the event.

But even with Harry planning to go to the event, the Royal Family are expected to be cautious, with tensions between the Sussexes and the rest of the Firm at an all-time high after the release of the Duke's memoir, Spare, earlier this year.

"I that Meghan's absence will mean less of a distraction from the Coronation events," Daly previously told the Star.

"But I don't see Meghan's absence as changing much about the Royal Family's interactions with Prince Harry.

"I think a lot of them barely know Meghan and are probably more upset about Prince Harry's betrayal of the Royal Family than anything that Meghan did."

Harry is reportedly planning to make his visit to the UK a brief one and has no plans to reconcile with his family while in Blighty.

According to the Express, The Duke will even be sitting several rows behind the rest of his family in a bid to keep him separate from brother William, who he dubbed his "arch-nemesis" in his tell-all book.

The Duke of Sussex, however, always had a soft spot for his grandmother, who would be celebrating her birthday today if she were still alive.

"I think the Sussexes will do something privately to mark Queen Elizabeth's birthday. Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are the sentimental type, who would want to mark the day with their children, especially as Lilibet was named in Queen Elizabeth's honour," Daly added.

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