Prince Harry and Meghan Should 'Support' King's Coronation—U.S. Ambassador

The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom has expressed "hope" that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will put aside family differences and support King Charles III for his coronation.

Appearing on the British-based News Agents political podcast on Thursday, Jane Hartley—who has been the American ambassador in Britain since 2022—spoke about the California-based faction of the royal family and her thoughts on King Charles' coronation celebrations.

Charles will be crowned in a historic ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey on Saturday alongside Queen Camilla. Among the congregation will be a number of royal family members, including Prince Harry, but Buckingham Palace announced last month that Meghan would be staying away.

The ceremony will mark the first time that Harry will be publicly reunited with his family since the publication of his bombshell memoir, Spare, and the release of his six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan. Both the prince and Meghan were critical of royal family members and their staff in their projects, laying bare the widely reported rift with Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

"We've lent you a couple of our royals, the Hollywood royals, Harry and Meghan," broadcaster and News Agents podcast host Emily Maitlis said to Hartley on the show's latest episode.

"I wonder how much support you feel they have in the U.S. Do you think they are seen as a new generation or a disaster?"

After stating that she had been in Britain for the past year and not the U.S., Hartley responded: "Listen, I've said this before, every family has their issues [...] You know, I just hope that for this coronation there's support for the king. That's what I would want."

"From them [Harry and Meghan]?" Maitlis clarified.

"From them, yes. Support for the king," Hartley said.

Elaborating on the conversation, co-host Jon Sopel asked whether the couple were a "lightning conductor," taking support away from Charles with the projects and interviews that they have done since leaving the royal family in 2020.

To this, Hartley responded that Harry and Meghan receive less media coverage in the U.S. than people in Britain may assume.

"I mean, if you look at our media, look at our New York Times, look at our Washington Post, whatever, I mean they're not getting that much coverage to be very honest with you," she said.

"The coverage right now really is about the coronation. The coverage right now is about what the U.K. is doing with us in terms of Ukraine. The coverage right now is the alliance that President [Joe] Biden has put together. So, you're not seeing them in mainstream media, if you want to know the truth, in my view."

Hartley's comments came as she notably sidestepped a question over whether Harry and Meghan had "damaged" the relationship between the U.S. and U.K. in January 2023, following the release of their media projects which contained criticisms of the royal family.

Appearing on the BBC network's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Hartley swerved being drawn in on Harry and Meghan and instead responded by praising King Charles who she said has done "so much good."

Hartley is not believed to be attending the king's coronation on May 6. Instead, first Lady Jill Biden will represent the U.S. having flown out to London from DC on Thursday.

Harry's attendance at the coronation ceremony is expected to be brief, with reports suggesting that he will return to his California home soon afterwards to be reunited with Meghan and the couple's two children. Coronation day itself is also the couple's son, Prince Archie's, fourth birthday.

Recent polling undertaken for Newsweek suggested that the American public backed Meghan's decision not to travel to the U.K. to attend the coronation.

Some 42 percent of a representative sample of 1,500 Americans polled by Redfield & Wilton for Newsweek on April 30 supported the decision, as opposed to 12 percent who said they did not.

Newsweek has approached representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle via email for comment.

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.