Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have denied declining an invitation to King Charles’ 75th birthday celebration.
On Tuesday, November 14, King Charles III would mark the occasion with a party at Clarence House with his closest friends and family.
According to the Sunday Times, Prince Harry declined an invitation to the birthday bash and will remain in California. The Sussexes, according to a spokeswoman, were unaware of the situation.
‘There has been no contact regarding an invitation to His Majesty’s upcoming birthday. It is disappointing the Sunday Times has misreported this story,’ they said. The same spokesperson also denied that Meghan, who found fame on Suits, will be making a return to acting following reports earlier this week.
A source close to the Sussexes told MailOnline that they were not invited to Charles III’s party in London next week. ‘They had not received any invitation and were unaware of any celebrations until the stories came out,’ the insider said, adding: ‘I’m sure the Duke will find a way to reach out privately to wish His Majesty a happy birthday like he has always done’.
A friend of the couple suggested the Palace could even have leaked the ‘snubbing’ story to take attention away from the recent royal visit to Kenya, where the King faced calls to apologise for Britain’s colonial past.
‘The story is being positioned in a way to make it look like the Duke is snubbing his father, which he is not,’ the friend said. ‘Considering the trip [to Kenya] didn’t go well, this might be a welcome distraction.’
Royal and Government sources have been clear that they consider the Kenyan trip last week was a ‘resounding success’.
Despite the growing chasm between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family, a friend of the Sussexes told MailOnline that they would ordinarily have been included in arrangements for major events in the UK.
‘The piece in The Times, as well as following ones, have been framed in such a way that it appears the Duke is ignoring his father, which he is not.’