Prince Harry and Meghan deny snubbing King Charles’ birthday party
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a statement denying that they snubbed an invitation to King Charles III’s 75th birthday party, which is set to take place on November 14 at Clarence House in London. The couple, who now live in California, said that they had received “no contact” from the palace regarding the celebration, contrary to a report by The Sunday Times.
The report claimed that Harry was invited to join his father and other members of the royal family for the milestone event, but had decided not to attend. The article also suggested that Harry and Meghan’s relationship with King Charles and Queen Camilla had deteriorated since they stepped back from their senior royal roles in 2020 and moved to the US.
However, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Newsweek that the report was “misreported” and that there was no communication from the palace about the birthday party. “In response to UK media headlines, there has been no contact regarding an invitation to His Majesty’s upcoming birthday,” the spokesperson said. “It is disappointing the Sunday Times has misreported this story.”
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The statement appears to break a three-year boycott of the British tabloid press by Harry and Meghan, who banned their staff from dealing with four newspapers, including The Sunday Times, in 2020. The couple accused the publications of publishing “distorted, false, or invasive” stories about them and their son Archie.
Harry and Meghan have also been involved in legal battles with some of the newspapers, including The Mail on Sunday, which they sued for publishing a private letter from Meghan to her estranged father Thomas Markle. Harry also sued The Sun and The Mirror for allegedly hacking his phone messages.
The denial of the birthday snub comes amid ongoing tensions between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family, especially after the couple’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, in which they made several allegations of racism, neglect, and bullying within the palace.
Harry also recently released a memoir titled “Spare”, in which he criticized his stepmother Camilla, calling her a “villain” who leaked stories to the media to boost her popularity. Camilla, who became Queen Consort after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, was reportedly “hurt” by Harry’s remarks, but did not respond publicly.
Harry was last in the UK in September, when he visited the grave of his grandmother on the first anniversary of her death. He did not meet with his father or his brother Prince William, who is second in line to the throne, during his trip. Harry and Meghan have not seen King Charles or Queen Camilla in person since March 2020, when they attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
