King Charles' coronation: This could be why Meghan Markle and others didn't attend the ceremony

While millions around the world tune into the star-studded Coronation event today, the absence of certain high-profile guests raises eyebrows.

Around 2,000 people are attending the royal event in Westminster Abbey in London.

The full guest list has not been fully released but it quickly became clear that some relatives have been ‘snubbed’and prevented from attending the procession.

On the other side, several high-profile names have opted out of joining the ceremony despite having been invited.

These notable figures won’t be present at the historic event in London this weekend, and here are the real reasons why.

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and her children

While Prince Harry made the journey from California to attend the coronation, the Duchess of Sussex will not be there. She will remain with three-year-old Archie and one-year-old Lilibet.

There are a variety of reported reasons for her absence, with the Daily Telegraph stating one as being her desire to celebrate Archie's fourth birthday, which falls on the day of the Coronation. The other possible cause can be her failure to receive a satisfactory response to a letter she sent to the King expressing concern about unconscious bias in the Royal Family.

Meghan's spokesperson denied this and said any suggestion she was thinking about correspondence from two years ago was ‘false and frankly ridiculous’.

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US President Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden told King Charles in a phone call he would not be attending the Coronation, with Washington denying his absence was a snub after his four-day trip to Ireland last month.

Jill Biden, the first lady, attends the party with her 24-year-old granddaughter and official plus one, Finnegan.

This is not without precedent. President Dwight Eisenhower did not attend the 1953 coronation of the Queen, instead sending Earl Warren, then the governor of California, George Marshall, former secretary of State, and Omar Bradley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Unsurprisingly, Russian President Vladimir Putinis not expected to attend the coronation. He has become an international pariah since invading Ukraine in February 2022.

He would also face being arrested if he visited the UK after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant over alleged war crimes.

He paid tribute to the late Queen after her death in September. The monarch hosted the Russian leader and his wife at Buckingham Palace in 2003.

Cabinet Ministers’ partners

The Daily Mail reported there was anger among ministers that they would be denied plus one for their partners.

A government source told:

Lots of Cabinet ministers, and their partners, are unhappy about it. They sacrifice a lot for their other half to do the jobs they do, and it would mean a great deal to be invited to the coronation.

Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murtyis the only partner of a Cabinet member that will attend the event.

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

While other heads of state in the Middle East including crown princes from Bahrain and Kuwait have been invited, one that has been left off the list is Mohammad bin Salman.

The powerful royal was internationally condemned after US intelligence found he approved the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Read more:

⋙ King Charles’ coronation: More relatives snubbed, 'They can't understand why they haven't been invited'

⋙ King Charles' coronation: Here's why His Majesty will wear two crowns and one is worth £5 billion

Sources used:

- Sky News: 'Meghan Markle, Joe Biden and the notable names missing from the King's coronation guest list'