The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has made her first public appearance since Prince Harry confirmed that he would be attending the coronation solo.
In a rare sighting, Markle appeared virtually to introduce and pay tribute to photographer Misan Harriman prior to his TED Talk.
‘I’ve experienced his talent first-hand as he has captured many meaningful milestones for me and my family’, said Meghan.
Harriman has had a lasting relationship with the Sussexes, with his photographs notably capturing Prince Harry and Meghan’s second pregnancy announcement and the first official photos of Princess Lilibet.
Markle’s appearance is the second time she has appeared publicly this year, with her previous engagement being at Harvest Home, a women’s charity in Los Angeles, in early March.
The Duchesses virtual appearance comes less than two weeks after Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that she would not be in attendance at the coronation and instead would be remaining in California with her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Although many royal pundits have speculated that Meghan’s coronation no-show is due to ulterior motives within the royal family, it is likely that the Duchess declined the invitation to her father-in-law’s coronation to celebrate Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, which is also on May 6.
Markle’s appearance also comes amidst controversy surrounding a report in The Daily Telegraph that claims the Duchess of Sussex allegedly sent a letter directly to King Charles following Prince Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey released in March 2021.
The letter is said to have specifically named members of the royal family that had allegedly made racist comments regarding Prince Archie’s skin tone, with the Duchess further detailing her concerns regarding racism and unconscious bias within the British royal family and the Palace’s mishandling of bullying allegations targeted towards Markle.
Royal pundits have continued to speculate that the content of the correspondence between the Duchess and King Charles was influential in her decision not to attend the coronation however, in a statement to NBC, a spokesperson for the Sussexes had strong words for any royal watchers attempting to draw malicious conclusions.
‘The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating’, stated the spokesperson.