Royal family is ‘relieved’ Meghan Markle is skipping King Charles’ coronation: biographer
Meghan Markle’s royal-biographer pal said the duchess is using her son Archie’s birthday as an excuse to skip King Charles III’s coronation — but the royal family is “relieved” she is staying thousands of miles away.
Omid Scobie — who worked with Meghan and Prince Harry for his book about them, “Finding Freedom” — told UK TV’s “This Morning” Wednesday that Markle was only using son Prince Archie’s fourth birthday as an excuse to stay in California while hubby Prince Harry makes a rare trip home to the UK.
Asked if the king’s family is “relieved” at her decision, Scobie said: “I would say so.”
“And I would put it down to the fact that so much of the attention then goes on someone who they would rather the attention didn’t go onto,” he claimed of the duchess and her Markle sparkle.
“If you look back at some of Meghan and Harry’s biggest problems, it was all down to the fact that everyone was always talking about them and the attention was on them at times when it shouldn’t have been.”
Harry, 38, and his wife, 41, previously claimed in their Netflix docu-series that their split from royalty was sparked largely by jealousy at the former “Suits” actress grabbing all the headlines.
Scobie claimed it is the main reason for Markle staying away from the historic coronation of her father-in-law, who walked her down the aisle at her 2018 wedding.
“People around the Sussexes guided press … that this is very much about Archie’s fourth birthday,” he told the UK Breakfast show.
“I disagree with that,” he said.
“I also know from friends of hers that she’s protecting her peace as well. She is aware of how much the spotlight goes on her when she sets even a foot near the story,” he said.
He defended his pal from claims that her headline-grabbing antics are “often portrayed as intentional, that she wants to steal the spotlight.”
“But in this case, should she have simply come over and stood next to her husband, I would imagine the commentary and the narrative on the day would be very different for the days that follow,” he said of the spotlight shining on her and tensions with the family rather than the new king.
Scobie became Markle’s most trusted reporter pal when he covered her engagements before she quit royal life.
He previously told Tatler how they shared “a big farewell hug” in Buckingham Palace during Markle’s final event as a working royal.
Still, he has regularly downplayed his friendship — as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s guidance in his co-authored book about their exit from Harry’s family.
The long-running rumors of their involvement became clear in court papers, however, with Markle’s former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, saying that Harry and Meghan “authorized specific cooperation” for the flattering bio.
“They should hear what it was like from someone who was in the thick of it … So if you aren’t planning on telling them, can I?!,” Harry allegedly asked Knauf, while tellin him to deny their involvement.
It forced Markle to make a humiliating apology to London’s Court of Appeal, saying she “had absolutely no wish or intention to mislead the defendant or the court” by repeatedly denying any involvement.
