The duchess – these days much talked about for choosing not to accompany Harry to the ceremony on May 6 – participated via video in a conference by her photographer friend Misan Harriman.

These days there is talk of Meghan Markle above all because she will not participate in the coronation of King Charles III. Her husband, Prince Harry, will fly to London alone. While waiting for the ceremony on May 6, and while everyone is wondering what the real reasons for the sensational royal forfeit are, the duchess has reappeared in public, albeit remotely. In fact, through a recorded video she gave her contribution to a conference by her photographer friend Misan Harriman, among other things the author of the shot with which the Sussexes announced to the world that Meghan was expecting her second daughter and also of the first portrait of Lilibet Diana. Smiling and relaxed, the duchess spoke of the close bond with Harriman, very present in the life of the Sussexes since they moved to the States: “I know his talent in person, since he has immortalized so many significant moments for my family”.

Meghan videotaped her at her Montecito, California mansion. And there she will remain, with her children Archie and Lilibet Diana, when a crown will remain on the head of her father-in-law. Official reason: May 6 is Archie’s birthday. A justification that does not convince (almost) anyone. Royal observers think that the reasons for the forfeit are quite different: first of all, after the continuous attacks on the royal family (most recently with the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and the book bomb Spare), the popularity of the Sussexes in Great Britain has plummeted, and the duchess would have no intention of submitting to the risk of boos. Not to mention that after the public arrows launched against the Windsors, finding yourself face to face with her august relatives (especially with her sister-in-law Kate Middleton) would be a source of great embarrassment.

But royal observers are also speculating on another possible explanation for Meghan’s forfeit: the alleged crisis between the dukes of Sussex, who would be at loggerheads over Spare. The book, as is well known, plunged the couple’s popularity in Hollywood to an all-time low, sending the former actress into a rage. “They will divorce within 18 months,” the royal experts rumour, while in London they are already thinking of getting rid of Meghan with a 50 million pound payout. True or not, Harry will have to fly to London on his own. And his wife alone has now reappeared on video.