Buckingham Palace staff have been told to plan for Harry and Meghan attending the King’s Coronation, but an official announcement has yet to be issued.
Nigel Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew, Maxwell and the Palace, said Harry poses a greater threat to the Coronation than his wife.
He told Express.co.uk: “Meghan has, thankfully, kept her mouth shut lately. It’s Harry wanting an apology that poses more of a threat to the Coronation.
“But Charles knows he can’t go around apologising to people – that’s ridiculous. It’s far beneath the King to do that.”
Harry has previously refused to commit to being at the Coronation unless King Charles and Prince William “sit down and talk about” the allegations he has levelled against the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex began to use the titles prince and princess for their children Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana last week.
Harry and Meghan’s youngsters became a prince and princess when the King acceded to the throne last September, but had remained a plain “master” and “miss” on the Buckingham Palace website until last Thursday (March 9).
Mr Cawthorne said: “If you’re turning your back on the monarchy and royalty, it’s very odd you would do that.
“But [Harry and Meghan] are so self-absorbed that they want the fancy balls, while rejecting the rest of it. I think they are just trying to have their cake and eat it.”
He added Harry and Meghan might announce whether or not they plan to attend the Coronation, saying: “I’m not sure to be honest. By and large the Sussexes do tend to seize the initiative with these things. They are the ones with the agenda.”
Asked what their agenda is, Mr Cawthorne said: “It’s certainly self-aggrandisement. They’re bigging it up as much as they can.
“With their whole [Coronation] invitation and Netflix over there in the US, they’re just feeding off their profile.
“The longer the ‘will they or won’t they’ [discussion continues] the more attention they’re getting.
“It goes hand in hand – the higher the profile they have, the more they can capitalise on it in the US.”
Mr Cawthorne said that while Harry poses the bigger threat to the smooth running of the Coronation, King Charles would “in no way” be able to control the situation or mitigate against any further drama.
He joked: “He just has to sit there with a fancy hat on his head. He can’t have guards with spikes pointing at Harry and Meghan!”
The author said: “Simply by being there, Harry is going to draw attention away from Charles. And if he doesn’t come, he’s drawing attention away from Charles.
“Presumably, there will be pictures of him cycling around Los Angeles looking nonchalant. It’s a lose lose situation for Charles.”
On how Buckingham Palace might handle Prince Andrew’s Coronation attendance, Mr Cawthorne told Express.co.uk: “I think [Andrew’s] desperate for any sort of attention really.
“He seems to be upset he’s not allowed to wear his spiffy Order of the Garter outfit or his army uniform.
“He should do a nude protest and streak outside Westminster Abbey instead!”
For more about Mr Cawthorne and his work visit nigelcawthorne.com
