08 February 2023 , 17:17
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can expect to be treated like Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie when attending royal events from now on, an expert has said.
Royal fans are currently wondering if King Charles' estranged son and daughter-in-law will come to the UK from California in just a few months' time for his Coronation.
Charles has had a bumpy relationship with his younger son who along with wife Meghan Markle quit royal duties in 2020 to move to the United States.
Last month, Harry released his controversial tell-all memoir Spare, where he criticised his stepmother Queen Camilla and said his father put his own interests before his.
Harry and Meghan at the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations (Getty Images)If Harry and Meghan do decide to attend the Coronation and the celebrations surrounding it, it's unclear exactly what roles they will have.
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But according to royal expert and author Katie Nicholl, the Sussexes could look to Harry's cousins Beatrice and Eugenie to see what they can expect.
Writing in Vanity Fair, she said: "Now that they are no longer working royals, the Sussexes can expect to be treated the same way as Harry’s cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who attend important family occasions but are not in the spotlight and do not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Harry's cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie (PA)
Harry and Meghan with Beatrice, Eugenie and their husbands at St Paul's Cathedral last year (Getty Images)"It has already been agreed that only working royals will make a balcony appearance during the coronation and sources have said that the focus will be on King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate."
And Katie added this would be similar to the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations l ast year, where they did not "upstage the key principals".
She explained: "During the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last June, they did not ride in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour, nor did they appear on the balcony which was reserved for working royals only.
Harry and Meghan are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey (HARPO PRODUCTIONS/AFP via Getty)"They did however attend a Service of Thanksgiving although they were not seated in the front row and they chose not to join the royals in the Royal Box for the concert at the palace."
It comes as it has emerged that Harry and Meghan will be questioned over their infamous Oprah Winfrey interview after being sued for defamation by Samantha Markle.
Meghan's half-sister has filed a lawsuit against the couple following the tell-all interview in March 2021.
A motion brought to block their testimonies has been refused by a judge, meaning both will have to publicly give evidence.
Samantha Markle, whose father is Meghan's estranged dad, Thomas Markle, claims the Duchess made "demonstrably false and malicious statements" in the interview.
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Meghan previously filed a motion to stop depositions in the case from taking place, but this was dismissed by Florida judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell on Tuesday.