Prince William, Kate Middleton Relieved Meghan Markle Skipping King Charles' Coronation: Royal Expert

Prince William and Kate Middleton will have fewer things to worry about now that Meghan Markle has decided not to attend King Charles III's coronation ceremony alongside her husband, a royal expert has suggested.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Prince Harry will be present at his father's coronation in the U.K. next month but won't be joined by his wife.

The Duchess of Sussex not attending the event likely brought the Prince and Princess of Wales some "relief" as the media scrutiny would not be as intense as it would have been had Markle chosen to go, according to Eloise Parker, a New York-based editor and broadcast journalist specializing in entertainment, lifestyle and the British royals.

"I think there's bound to be some relief from William and Kate that Meghan won't be attending the coronation simply because less emphasis is going to be on them, who's looking where, who's lip reading, what's going on between them," Parker told Entertainment Tonight.

She added, "There's such a fever of interest in these relationships and the truth is we're never going to see a 'Real Housewives' moment between these women. Everything is going to be kept firmly under wraps and I think for Kate, the fact that Meghan isn't attending, helps her keep it that way."

Parker also shared her personal take on Prince Harry's decision to join his family for King Charles' coronation. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had earlier received criticism for delaying their response to the monarch's invitation to his upcoming coronation, with some suggesting that both of them may skip it amid their family tensions.

"My first reaction is relief that Harry is going to be at his father's coronation," Parker said. "It would have been an incredibly sad time if he hadn't attended at all. It's, of course, not ideal that only half of his family is going -- with Meghan staying home -- but I think it's a safe solution given all the drama that we've seen over the past year or two."

Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes' spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Prince Harry will attend the coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6. However, Markle will remain in California with their two children — son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1. King Charles' coronation falls on the same day as Archie's 4th birthday.

"Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey," a palace spokesperson said, Reuters reported. "The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."

Before the announcement, several experts said that Prince Harry and Markle skipping the historic ceremony would only worsen the tensions between them and the royal family.

Edward Coram-James, chief executive of Go Up, an international search marketing and digital design agency based in London and Los Angeles, told GB News he believes it would be a "fatal, irreversible blow" if neither of them showed up at the event.

"In a universe in which the damage already caused by the rift is still recoverable from, at least in part, a no-show would be the fatal, irreversible blow, both in the public perception as well, potentially, as within the family itself," Coram-James said. "It risks drawing out the conflict over the long term."