Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘snubbed’ from Queen’s death anniversary ceremony

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly did not receive an invitation for a royal family gathering to mark one year since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

On 8 September, King Charles III is expected to commemorate his mother at a gathering in Balmoral Castle.

The day will also mark the anniversary of the King’s accession.

A source told The Sun that there has not been “any outreach” to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding the royal event.

“If they are not included in any of those plans they will find a way to mark the significance in their own way,” the source said.

The Independent has contacted Prince Harry and his wife’s representatives for comment.

This news comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted leaving a celebrity hotspot restaurant in Montecito, California on Wednesday night (2 August), ahead of Meghan Markle’s birthday today (Friday 4 August).

One day after the event in Balmoral, Prince Harry is expected to be in Düsseldorf, Germany, for the 2023 Invictus Games from 9 September.

His wife will reportedly join him a few days later as they are due to attend a number of events before appearing at the closing ceremony on 16 September.

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According to German newspaper Rheinische Post, Prince Harry will give a speech while Markle will help to “moderate” the ceremony.

All senior royal family members, including Prince Andrew, are expected to be at the anniversary ceremony held in Balmoral Castle, according to The Sun.

After the ceremony, the King and Queen Camilla will officially begin their summer holiday in Scotland on 21 August.

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This year, the royal couple will break with tradition by not staying in the main Balmoral castle.

According to The Daily Mail, Charles will be breaking from his mother’s tradition by not staying at Balmoral Castle itself, as the late Queen did, but staying instead at Birkhall – his private home at the estate.

One source told the publication the King and Queen will happily “decamp” to the main castle for official visits from prime minister Rishi Sunak and other political representatives, but Birkhall will be their main base until the early autumn.

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal duties in 2020, and following the release of Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare in January, it is unlikely that the couple will be visiting the King and Queen Camilla at their residence this summer.