MEGHAN Markle has been branded a “Marmite” character by a royal expert who says she’s avoiding the UK so she’s not booed again.

Prince Harry, 39, is set to make a transatlantic trip to the UK next week for an Invictus Games event – without his wife by his side.

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The last time Harry and Meghan were at St Paul’s Cathedral, pictured here at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, they were booedCredit: Getty

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Chris Ship told The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson Meghan is a ‘Marmite character’
The Duke of Sussex will also attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday May 8, the foundation confirmed.

And ITV News’ royal correspondent Chris Ship has told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show that Meghan is terrified of being booed at St Paul’s for the SECOND time.

Harry and Meg were last at the London landmark in 2022 for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee where they exited the car to an overwhelming sound of booing.

Chris Ship told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive Show: “The difficulty is you remember last time they went to St Paul’s Cathedral, which was for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, they got booed.

“We heard the boos for them. We should be clear there was also people cheering for them, but there were definitely boos at St Paul’s Cathedral.

“So going back there I can see why Meghan may not wish to accompany Harry there.”

After Harry’s most likely short trip to Britain, he and Meghan will head to Nigeria for the next stop on his Invictus Games tour.

An insider said Meghan had “shown no interest” in coming back to the UK.

However Meghan, who is of Nigerian descent, will join Harry afterwards as they head to Africa.

Chris added Meghan’s “Marmite character” will be seen very differently in Africa – and is the reason she without a doubt agreed to go.

Two reasons Meghan WON’T come to Britain with Harry – as royal rift set to overshadow Invictus message, says expert
He continued: “I think Nigerians will be doing everything they can to make this a successful tour and put Nigeria on the map.

“But we must remember that as much as Meghan in this country is a bit of Marmite character, people love her or people really don’t love her, she is likely to be seen very very differently in Africa.

“So I would have thought actually that she will get huge numbers of crowds coming out to see her because she’s a figure on the global stage and she’s coming to their country.

“They will want to put on a red carpet, almost as red as the one they might put on for a King or a Queen.”

The couple will take part in “cultural activities” after they were invited by the west African country’s chief of defence staff.

In Harry and Meghan’s first trip to the country as a couple, they will meet service members and their families, and participate in traditional cultural activities, according to Nigerian media.

Meghan, 42, has opted to stay in the couple’s £12million Montecito mansion in sunny California with their kids Archie and Lilibet over fears about a “hostile reception”.

Megxit timeline

November 2016 – Harry formally reveals he is in a relationship with Suits actress Meghan Markle.
September 2017 – Meghan tells Vanity Fair the couple are in love and happy together.
September 2017 – The couple make their first public appearance together holding hands at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
November 2017 – Prince Charles issues a statement revealing Harry and Meghan are engaged.
May 2018 – Harry and Meghan tie the knot, becoming Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
October 2018 – The couple announce they are expecting their first child while on their first overseas tour in Australia.
March 2019 – Harry and Meghan set up their own household, splitting their joint operation with Prince William and Kate.
May 2019 – Meghan gives birth to a baby boy named Archie.
October 2019 – Harry reveals his rift with his brother William in a bombshell documentary.
January 2020 –  The couple stun the Queen by announcing plans to quit senior roles and settle in North America. After ten days of talks at Sandringham,  it’s agreed the couple will no longer be working royals and will give up their “Royal Highness” titles.
March 2020 – Harry and Meghan carry out their last official engagement and move to California.
September 2020 – Netflix announces a huge deal with the couple.
February 2021 – Buckingham Palace announces the couple’s split as working members of the monarchy is permanent and they will lose their royal patronages.
March 2021 – The palace says it is “very concerned” about allegations of bullying made by former staff of Harry and Meghan, launching a probe.
March 2021 – Meghan tells Oprah Winfrey Archie wasn’t made a prince after “concerns and conversations” about “how dark” his skin would be when he was born. She claims Kate “hurt her feelings” and made her cry before her wedding. Harry says Charles has stopped taking his calls and he has been “cut off” financially.
January 2023 – Harry publishes his tell-all memoir Spare, launching scathing attacks on William, Kate and Camilla. He says he and William once got into a physical fight over Meghan.
April 2023 – Harry has a “heart-to-heart” talk with his dad before agreeing to come to the Coronation in London.
September 2023 – Harry rejects an offer to spend the anniversary of the Queen’s death at Balmoral with his father.
February 2024 – Prince Harry flies to the UK to be with his father as royal experts claim their four-year rift could be put aside. They meet for half an hour before Harry flies home. He does not meet William.

Richard Fitzwilliams previously told The Sun that “the Sussexes aren’t trusted by the Royal Family” and he isn’t surprised Meghan won’t arrive in London with Harry.

He said: “I never thought that Meghan would come over because of the hostility towards her, but I mean no one has to emphasize that it’s hostile.

“And anyway, her attendance at the reception would overshadow the message of the service, and you wouldn’t want that, as far as Harry is concerned.

“One must hope everyone’s interested in the rift being resolved so hopefully this might happen.

“But it will happen because of private contact, contact that we wouldn’t know existed.

“I mean, that has a far, far better chance, anyway. But the problem essentially, is one of trust.

“The Sussexes aren’t trusted by the royal family. That Oprah interview, which did so much harm went, actually went out at the time when the Duke of Edinburgh was ill in hospital.

“This is something the royal family wouldn’t have forgotten either.

“But looking to the future, of course I must hope that the royal rift is solved in some way. The king has always kept the door open to Harry, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he would invariably get a warm reception.”

It comes despite Meghan previously attending Invictus Games with Harry in Toronto, Sydney, The Hague and Dusseldorf.

She has not stepped-foot in the UK since attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.