Royal author Tom Bower says it’s “nonsense” to believe the Palace intentionally chose King Charles’ coronation date to diss Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace announced that the new monarch’s official crowning ceremony will take place at Westminister Abbey on May 6, 2023, which happens to be the same date as the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ son Archie’s 4th birthday.
Some royal fans took note of the date and theorized that it was selected to perhaps hurt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“Unbelievable!! There are 365 Days in the year! Why? Just why?” tweeted one, while another wrote, “This will just rob us of his 4th bday pic or delay it. Just like Princess lily’s bday during jubly. Anything to ride the Sussex coattails!!🤦🏻♀️🙄”.
“Archie’s birthday was the last thing they thought about,” Tom Bower, author of “Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors,” tells Page Six in an exclusive interview.
He adds, “The date was chosen because it’s just before the state opening of Parliament and Charles will want to appear as King with his crown and the whole ceremonial (robes).”
The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event that formally marks the beginning of a session of Parliament and always includes a speech from the throne, known as the King’s (or Queen’s) speech. Queen Elizabeth faithfully opened every session during her 70-year reign barring three including 2022 when she was too frail to attend.
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Bower says Palace officials did check the calendar.
“They looked at what was happening in Britain,” he says. “They didn’t look at what was happening in Montecito (where the Sussex family currently reside). The idea that anyone was concerned with that is nonsense.”
