A ROYAL AFFAIR
New mum Meghan takes a break from maternity leave – while Harry causes concern due to signs of tension at royal event
Trooping the Colour
It was the long awaited first public appearance of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, since introducing to the world her and Prince Harry’s son, Archie, on May 8. Although the infant skipped the royal affair, it was a special day for another young royal – Prince Louis, who made his balcony debut at the annual Trooping the Colour on June 9. On their official Instagram, @sussexroyal, Meghan and Harry wrote, “Today, over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians came together on Horse Guards Parade in London in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare.”
The annual event marks
Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘official’ birthday (her actual date of birth is April 21) and the royal tradition of more than 250 years is a public celebration to commemorate the reigning sovereign.
For her 93rd birthday, the Queen arrived in the Scottish State Coach – the same carriage newlyweds Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank rode in at their wedding on October 12 last year.
Giving fans a history lesson on the @kensingtonroyal Instagram page, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge explained the origin of the Trooping the Colour name. “Regimental flags of the @BritishArmy were
historically described as ‘Colours’ because they displayed the uniform Colours and insignia worn by the soldiers of different units,” the post read. “The way in which this was done was for young officers to march in between the ranks of troops formed up in lines with the Colours held high. This is the origin of the word ‘trooping’. So, what today is a great tradition began life as a vital and practical parade designed to aid unit recognition before a battle commenced.”
Wearing a navy Givenchy ensemble, a Noel Stewart hat and keeping with royal protocol (after breaking the ‘rule’ of keeping shoulders covered at last year’s event), Duchess Meghan smiled from ear to ear as she took a break from maternity leave to temporarily return to the spotlight after enjoying some much needed family time since giving birth.
Arriving in the same carriage as Prince Harry, sister-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the royals chatted and waved to onlookers as they made their way through the parade. And in her second public appearance since giving birth, Meghan was again in the background of the annual balcony photo
– but that’s all due to royal politics. “She was not as prominent, perhaps, as some people might have expected, but there’s a pecking order,” Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, has previously told WHO. Nonetheless, some royal fans voiced their outrage that Meghan was shoved “in the corner”, while others were simply happy to see the duchess out and about. “Even though a glimpse on the balcony, it was such a treat to see Duchess Meghan today,” one fan wrote.
What was also pointed out by keen-eyed royal watchers was the ‘tension’ shown by new
“It was such a treat to see Duchess Meghan today”
The Queen will usually stand in the centre of the balcony, surrounded by her extended family. Closest to the Queen are her four children as well as their spouses and children. The heir to the throne stands to her right.
dad Prince Harry. “Harry was wearing the blank but slightly wary expression he’s been seen doing a lot of recently,” body language expert Judi James told the UK’s Express. “Harry’s default facial expression always used to be a rather naughty-looking grin and it seemed to take an effort to compose it into a more serious look for state occasions.”
Meghan, on the other hand, appeared in good spirits alongside Kate. “There were also some emphatic signals to suggest Kate and Meghan do want to be seen as friendly sisters-in-law – Meghan looked happy when she chatted to Kate using eye contact,” James said.
In addition, the Cambridge kids, Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, made headlines once again for their cute-as-a-button appearance, with Louis joining them for the first time.
Having just celebrated his first birthday on April 23, the young royal is the same age sister Charlotte was when she attended her first Trooping the Colour in 2016. George, however, was just shy of 2 years old when he first attended the event, likely because at 10 months, he was slightly too young the year before.
Wearing a white shirt and blue pants – reminiscent of the outfits big brother George and father William wore to their balcony debuts – little Louis waved to the aircraft and made all sorts of expressions (including sucking his thumb!), making for a memorable day.
Sharing intimate family photos from the royal affair, the Cambridges sent their best wishes to the matriarch, writing, “Happy Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen!”
“Happy Birthday to Her Majesty The Queen” —@kensingtonroyal