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Meghan Markle's absence from King Charles III's coronation next month is a "disappointment on the fashion front," particularly as a bold style statement could have garnered her some "positive PR," according to a top fashion expert.
After months of speculation over whether Meghan and Prince Harry would make the journey to Britain with their two children for King Charles' crowning ceremony, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on April 12 that "The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
Meghan's absence comes after a period of public criticism following the release of the Sussexes' high-profile media projects, including the couple's six-part Netflix docuseries detailing their 2020 acrimonious split from the monarchy and Harry's bombshell memoir, Spare.
The last time the duchess attended a large-scale royal event was the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Before that, she appeared at the Platinum Jubilee in June of that same year.
Meghan's attendance at public events is met with increased fascination with what she chooses to wear. Therefore, her skipping of the coronation—one of the biggest fashion events of the decade—will be unwelcome news to royal style watchers.
"Whether you are Team Meghan or not, there's no denying that her absence at the coronation is a disappointment on the fashion front," Miranda Holder, celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert, tells Newsweek.
"Meghan's style is innately more relaxed and natural when compared to the more sophisticated and refined polish of Kate Middleton, and she looked happiest and most radiant dressed in her 'California cool' ensembles of jeans and oversized shirts.
"Despite her more informal approach, the duchess definitely brought her 'own brand of fabulous' to big state occasions such as the Queen's Jubilee," she continued, "favoring super-brands like Dior and channeling old school Hollywood glamour, which stood out among the more conservative British style, creating a memorable 'wardrobe moment' for fans and fashionistas to admire."
Though no official dress code for royal guests attending the coronation has been released, it is expected that many female members of the family will don new ensembles, likely falling into the formal daywear category.
This could then see a difference in coronation aesthetic than that seen at the last ceremony, held 70 years ago for Queen Elizabeth II, at which princesses wore long formal gowns with tiaras and velvet trains.
Whatever the dress code for King Charles' celebration, had she attended Meghan would likely have carefully curated her look, in line with her styling for previous high-profile events.
"Meghan was a savvy dresser and made every best effort to make her wardrobe choices work hard to create some positive PR in increasingly difficult times," Holder said.
"I have no doubt that if she had attended the coronation her look—or costume—(she is an actress after all) would have also been carefully selected to win over hearts and minds."
"It would have been a clever fashion move for the duchess to have dressed in a much-loved British designer for the coronation which would have definitely garnered her some positive PR after such a tumultuous few years, and it is an unequivocal shame that we won't get to see this play out."
Charles will be crowned at Westminster Abbey alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, in the first joint coronation of a King and Queen Consort since King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.
All senior members of the royal family, apart from Meghan, are expected to attend, including Prince William and Kate Middleton in their capacities as Prince and Princess of Wales as well as son and daughter-in-law of the monarch.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more