Oprah Winfrey Comments On Whether Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Should Attend The Coronation After All The Rumors And Brouhaha

oprah winfrey on cbs mornings
(Image credit: CBS News)

A big event is coming up for Britain’s royal family and those who enjoy watching them, especially in times of pomp and circumstance, as King Charles’ coronation celebration is fast approaching, with his actual crowning set for May 6. One aspect of it that’s taken over the public consciousness, likely to the great chagrin of several royals involved, is whether or not Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend and how much of part they’ll play in the festivities. Now, Oprah Winfrey has commented on what she thinks the couple should do.

What Does Oprah Winfrey Say About Whether Or Not Harry And Meghan Should Attend King Charles’ Coronation?

Broadcast legend Winfrey has been a close friend of Harry and Meghan’s since well before conducting their initial bombshell interview after leaving the royal family. She also attended their wedding, so it makes sense that during a recent interview on CBS Mornings, she’d be asked her thoughts on whether or not the couple should make the trip back to England for the coronation, amid all of the rumors and speculation. Winfrey briefly gave her opinion on the matter, which you can see in this brief clip:

While this could be seen as a perfectly Oprah type of answer, it’s also a completely logical one. All anyone can do in any situation is to try and make the best decision possible for themselves and their family, and Meghan and Harry definitely have a lot to consider when it comes to attending the coronation.

What’s Going On With King Charles’ Coronation Regarding Harry And Meghan?

For quite a while royal watchers were wondering whether or not the Sussexes would even be invited to the coronation, seeing as how the months since Queen Elizabeth II’s death have seen both the popular Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, and the prince’s tell-all memoir, Spare, divulge secrets and make additional allegations against his family, which has reportedly led to even more ill will between them and other royals. 

Though it does now appear that they’ve been invited, the rumor is that they’ve been told their attendance is dependent on them behaving in accordance with the royal rules that have been set forth for them (including only being allowed to make small talk with senior royals). They will also likely not appear with other members of the royal family during the event, as certain parts (like waving from the balcony) will be restricted to working royals. 

We’ve also recently heard reports that, because Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties in 2020, they will not be included in the processional for the coronation, and that their children haven’t been invited to the event at all. While another report from OK! (via The Sun) has one insider claiming that the Sussexes are actually pushing for their entire family, 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lilibet included, to be on the palace balcony, likely because the coronation takes place on the same day as Archie’s birthday. 

In addition, they were recently evicted from Frogmore Cottage, so if they attend they’ll probably have to stay at Buckingham Palace, where they might not feel as safe/comfortable as if they were in their own place. Let’s look at what Winfrey said again, considering everything that’s gone on lately and what the couple has to take into account before making a final decision on the big day:

I think they should do what they feel is best for them and their family. That’s what I think. That’s what the bottom line, it comes down to, ‘What do you feel is the right thing for you?’ They haven’t asked me my opinion. No, they have not.

How one comes to such a decision when the noise surrounding it is so public is beyond me. Unfortunately, this seems like a situation where, no matter what they do, people will have something negative to say about it, so here’s hoping that they can handle whatever fallout may come their way.

Adrienne Jones
Senior Content Creator

Covering The Witcher, Outlander, Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias and a slew of other streaming shows, Adrienne Jones is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend, and started in the fall of 2015. In addition to writing and editing stories on a variety of different topics, she also spends her work days trying to find new ways to write about the many romantic entanglements that fictional characters find themselves in on TV shows. She graduated from Mizzou with a degree in Photojournalism.