Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fire for their comments made on the same day that King Charles delivered his first King's Speech in over seven decades.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex declared that they had received "no contact" from Buckingham Palace regarding His Majesty's 75th birthday party. This revelation unfolded mere hours before Charles presided over the State Opening of Parliament.
A spokesperson for the couple rebuffed claims made in the Sunday Times, which reported that Harry had declined an invitation from his father to attend a party scheduled for the following week.
The spokesperson labelled the report as "misreported." Still, a friend of the couple raised the possibility that this was strategically leaked to divert attention from the recent royal visit to Kenya, during which King Charles faced calls to apologise for Britain's colonial past.
The timing of the Sussexes' remarks has raised eyebrows among royal experts, who deemed it "particularly inappropriate" given the historic nature of King Charles's speech.
Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal expert, expressed his views on the situation to the MailOnline, stating that the King's speech paid tribute to the late Queen and marked a momentous occasion as the first time a king had opened Parliament since 1950.
He said: “The very same day, with particularly inappropriate timing, the Sussexes are back in the news. They deny a report in the Sunday Times that they turned down an invitation to the King's 75th birthday. Harry, an insider tells us, will reach out to his father privately.
“A source has also suggested that the report was timed to distract attention away from the recent trip by King Charles and Queen Camilla to Kenya. The king certainly performed a sensitive balancing act when visiting an important ally in Africa.”
He continued: “The visit, however, has been regarded as a success and this attitude shows the level of the Sussexes sense of entitlement.”
The ongoing rift within the Royal Family remains a significant point of concern, with questions surrounding the potential for further memoirs or revelations from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Former royal correspondent Phil Dampier also addressed the situation, pointing out that disputes over a birthday invitation were somewhat irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
He underlined King Charles's continued willingness for reconciliation and the importance of his approach. He also refuted claims that the story of the party was leaked as a distraction, asserting that the recent royal tour and events were not a source of concern.
The Sussexes' relationship with the Royal Family has remained strained since their decision to step down as senior royals and relocate to California. Their statements and revelations have further strained these relations. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's comments and actions have ignited another chapter in the ongoing royal saga.
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