There are a number of similar-sounding stories in the Times of London, the Daily Mail and the Daily Beast, all about the most pressing issue in the UK: whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend King Charles’s coronation. That’s what all of the palace briefings have been about for months, this single-minded, one-sided hysteria over the fact that no one knows if the Sussexes will come if and when they’re invited. Congrats to Charles, he finally gets the job he’s been waiting for his entire life and he’s being overshadowed by his charismatic son and daughter-in-law. Charles must love that! Still, Charles’s people are the ones briefing the media, alongside Prince William’s people. There’s still a minor briefing war happening as William continues to believe that “telling people he’s incandescent with rage” is the right way to deal with every issue. So, here’s an excerpt from the Times, which sounds a lot like a Daily Mail piece:

It has been clear since December that the royal family does not feel it has anything to apologise for [with regards to Harry]. A source close to the royal family told The Times: “I don’t think that there is any sense that an apology is owed.”

The source said that the duke and duchess would receive an invitation to the coronation, although none have been sent out yet. “But I don’t think it will be wrapped in an apologetic bow. It will be, ‘Here is an invitation. Let us know if you are coming.’ ”

As one source said recently: “They aren’t going to apologise because they don’t recognise Harry’s version of events.” However a “well-placed source” has now claimed that Harry wants an apology from Charles and William before he will attend.

The Times’s source said the coronation would not be a catalyst for further conversations aimed at ending the rift between Harry and his family. “They are entirely separate things in the eyes of the family.”

However, the King remains willing to talk to his younger son. “I’m sure that his father would be more than happy to sit down and have a conversation with him about everything that has happened. But it would not be a one-way street. He would be happy to talk and listen and understand. He has always tried to understand his son, even if he might not agree with him.”

Members of the royal household believe that Harry will attend the coronation, even if Meghan does not.“She will use the excuse of looking after Archie and Lilibet, and Archie’s birthday. But no-one really knows,” one said. The coronation is being held on their son Archie’s fourth birthday.

[From The Times]

That last part is what I wanted to discuss – the palace is openly briefing the British media about the Sussexes’ attendance, and they have been for months. The Sussexes haven’t confirmed anything because, as Omid Scobie wrote in his latest column, they haven’t even gotten an invitation. So we have the palace openly and preemptively pouring scorn on Meghan for “using the excuse” of… looking after her children. Almost as if a literal king chose his big fancy hat day specifically on his grandson’s birthday as a way to make Meghan choose? They might want to invest in a neon sign to hang over Big Ben: “MEGHAN IS NOT WELCOME.” Again, this is exactly like the Jubbly last year – they were all trying so hard to convince Meghan not to come, that she would be unwelcome, and then when the Sussexes only made a couple of brief appearances, the lopsided discourse was “how dare they not come to every single Jubbly event, where is Meghan!!!”

And again, none of these people can admit that Harry isn’t at their beck and call, that he won’t bury the hatchet and show up to be snubbed and sneered at just because they demand it. It’s driving them crazy.

Photos courtesy of Netflix.