Meghan Markle sought revenge on King Charles by orchestrating Prince Harry’s exclusion from the Royal Garden Party held at Buckingham Palace. The incident resulted in a snub for Prince Harry, as numerous members of the royal family joined King Charles at the event. While the King was accompanied by Queen Kima, Prince Edward, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and Prince Assan, Prince Harry was left out. This clash occurred as Harry had his own Invictus event at St Paul’s Cathedral, which was not attended by any senior member of the monarchy.
Despite Prince Harry’s absence, the royal family carried on with business as usual at the garden party. Dressed in traditional attire, including a top hat and tails, King Charles engaged in laughter and conversations with the 8,000 guests. This came just a day after it was confirmed that Charles did not meet his son, despite their physical proximity. The Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, and the Duke and Duchess of Gluster were also present at the gathering. Prince William hosted an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, while the Prince and Princess of Wales were among the senior royals who did not attend. William had previously conducted an investiture earlier in the day, and Kate, due to chemotherapy, was not undertaking public duties.
This garden party marked King Charles’ return to public-facing duties after his recent cancer diagnosis. Each engagement is carefully managed to balance his desire to interact with the public while prioritizing his health. Charles appeared to be in his element as he conversed with guests, even playfully removing his top hat and waving it in the air as the crowd greeted him with the National Anthem. He warmly greeted well-wishers, shaking hands and smiling ear to ear. The attendees expressed their joy and admiration for the King, with one man saying, “God bless you,” and another stating, “So glad you’re looking so much better. I’m not doing badly.” Charles was clearly touched by their kind words.
Prince Harry was intentionally left out of the garden party, which had been scheduled well in advance and required significant planning. The decision to exclude him was seen as a deliberate affront, considering Harry’s Invictus Games and the ongoing rumors spread by Meghan’s PR team, suggesting that King Charles was attempting to overshadow Harry with the garden party. Some speculate that Charles strategically chose the date for the event at St Paul’s Cathedral to ensure the presence of senior royals. However, the plan seemed to backfire due to other circumstances.
It is worth noting that the royal family typically hosts four annual garden parties at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Hollywood House, welcoming around 30,000 guests each year. These gatherings have been a tradition for approximately 150 years, initially serving as social events for society. However, Meghan’s PR team tried to paint the garden party as a move by King Charles to steal the spotlight from Harry. Additionally, there were discussions on online forums about the motivations behind the choice of date for the event, with some suggesting it was a ploy to compel senior royals’ attendance.
Despite the tensions and estrangement between Prince Harry and the royal family, King Charles has remained open to reconciliation. However, there are concerns about trust and confidentiality, as Harry has previously shared private conversations publicly, as seen in his interview on Good Morning America shortly after meeting with Charles in February. The royal family may be hesitant to fully embrace Harry again, fearing that sensitive information could be disclosed on national television.