Who is the person at the King’s coronation who people think is Meghan Markle in disguise?

It was the event of the day, some say the year, as we bore witness to the pomp and pageantry of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The United Kingdom and various Commonwealth realms had their new ‘modern’ monarch confirmed and everyone closely aligned to the British Royal Family was in attendance, with one notable exception: Duchess Meghan Markle.

Did Meghan Markle disguise herself for coronation appearance?

The Duchess and her young offspring were absent from the London event, with the former actress opting to remain at the couple’s luxurious Montecito estate in Los Angeles. Her husband, Prince Harry, represented the family and had many eyes, and cameras, following his every gesture as he took his seat a few rows behind the main action.

But some onlookers were convinced, some less seriously than others, that the star of Suits was actually at the big occasion, in a disguise that made her look like a 79-year old man. There were, after all, around 2,200 guests in Westminster Abbey to watch lavish robes being exchanged, listen to angelic choir music, admire jewel encrusted medieval weaponry, and ponder Charles being rubbed with a Jerusalem-sourced olive oil. Surely no one would spot a talented Hollywood star in full make-up and costume including a wig, a pair of glasses and a false moustache...

Here are some of the contributions from the world of social media suggesting exactly this:

Who is Sir Karl Jenkins, the man linked to Markle disguise?

Of course, the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service is smarter than that. It takes more than a dodgy ‘tash to get passed the geniuses working for MI6... I mean, could Meghan have really pulled off a foreign accent a la Dick Van Dyke as well? No chance!

So, who was the person in question? That ‘honour’ goes to Sir Karl Jenkins, son of a a Swedish mother and Welsh father. He is a composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his works including Adiemus, the Adiemus album series, Palladio, The Armed Man, and his Requiem. He was educated in music at Cardiff University and the Royal Academy of Music, and was previously a member and lead songwriter of the jazz-rock band Soft Machine. Jenkins has also composed music for advertising campaigns, winning the industry prize twice.

Yes, he’s real.

Why did Meghan Markle not attend the coronation?

Although the exact reasoning behind the Duchess’ decision to sit out on such a significant occasion remains unclear, rumours abound regarding the ongoing tensions between Markle and her royal in-laws. Harry confirmed that his wife and little ones would not be joining him across the pond, and to put a stop to the gossip the American, through a spokesperson, settled the speculation with a statement sent to the UK version of Hello! magazine.

“The Duchess of Sussex lives her life in the present, without thinking about the correspondence of two years ago related to the conversations of four years ago. Any speculation to the contrary is false and downright ridiculous. We encourage the tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that only they are creating,” the text read.

King Charles’ coronation day was also the Sussex’s eldest son Archie’s fourth birthday, with Harry making a quick escape back to join in the more modest celebrations stateside as soon as he could.