Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Author Deepak Chopra has said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “struggling right now” amidst their rift with the British royal family.

The Indian-American mindfulness expert, who appeared on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s holiday special podcast back in 2020, recently gave insight into the Sussexes’ current state of mind as Harry prepares to attend King Charles III’s coronation next month.

While speaking to The Daily Mail at a red carpet event in London, Chopra said about his work with the royal couple: “I enjoyed the podcast and interacted with them. It has been periodic – they’re struggling right now.”

“I hope they get through it light-hearted,” he said. “I think there’s too much drama around them. People should mind their own business.”

On 12April, Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Harry will attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May. However, his wife Meghan will stay at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The best-selling author also shared some words of wisdom for Harry ahead of his first meeting with the royal family since the release of his tell-all memoir, Spare.

“My advice is to ignore it because if you react you’ll just aggravate the situation,” Chopra said. “If you ignore it, people can’t say anything, then they’ll stop.”

In December 2020, Chopra appeared on the Duke and Duchess’s first podcast episode as part of their Archewell Audio production company’s exclusive deal with Spotify. The holiday special – which featured Sir Elton John, Professor Brené Brown, and actor James Corden – brought together many high-profile contributors to mark the end of a challenging year.

To celebrate Meghan’s 40th birthday in 2021, Chopra also took part in her 40x40 Compassion In Action initiative, which aimed to help women return to work after the pandemic.

“To celebrate the 40th birthday of my friend Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, I’m donating 40 minutes of mentorship to a woman re-entering the workforce,” he said at the time.