Who Skipped King Charles’s Coronation?

It's always fascinating to see who attends major events like the Met Gala, but what's even more enticing to unpack (for those who can’t resist a little gossip) is which invitees decide not to show up—and which ones weren't even invited in the first place. Such is the case with King Charles III's coronation, which takes place on May 6, 2023. The guest list was heavily downsized to about 2,000 guests compared with the more than 8,000 who attended Queen Elizabeth's coronation ceremony in 1953 at Westminster Abbey. In the past, everyone from political figures to celebrities has attended major royal events. Ahead, take a look at everyone who is expected to not attend King Charles's coronation.

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were both invited to the coronation, but only Prince Harry will be attending his father's ceremony. "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th," the palace said in a statement to BAZAAR.com. "The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."

Joe Biden

The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden will not attend the coronation, but First Lady Jill Biden will be there. During a phone call with King Charles, President Biden congratulated the King on his coronation and said that he hopes to meet with him in the United Kingdom in the future, according to a White House readout of the call.

Sarah Ferguson

The King's former sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson was not invited to the coronation. She's the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, who was invited and is expected to attend but not participate in the ceremony. (Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal patronages and military titles in 2022 after accusations of sexual assault.) While Ferguson and Prince Andrew have been divorced since 1996, Ferguson still retains her title as the Duchess of York. She also still lives with Prince Andrew at Royal Lodge, which they were recently asked to vacate.

Lady Pamela Hicks

There will be fewer aristocrats at King Charles's coronation than Queen Elizabeth's. Among those who didn't receive an invite is Lady Pamela Hicks, the former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen and first cousin of Prince Philip. Her daughter, India, revealed on Instagram that her mother didn't mind. In fact, she found it to be sensible to base invitations on meritocracy, not aristocracy, and said she plans to "follow with great interest the events of this new reign."

Sir Elton John

Elton John has a long, well-documented history with the royals. He was close with Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II, and he attended and performed at various royal events. Naturally, the "Rocket Man" singer was asked to perform at the King's coronation. His team confirmed to Rolling Stone that he declined due to a scheduling conflict, so we can expect that he won't be attending as a guest either.

World Leaders

According to the BBC, world leaders from Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, and Iran will not be attending. The outlet also reported that leaders from North Korea and Nicaragua were "offered the chance to attend at a diplomatic level."

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