END OF AN ERA
THE COUPLE FACE A TENSE ENCOUNTER WITH WILLIAM AND KATE AS THEY OFFICIALLY FINISH UP AS ROYALS
The royal family reunite in the UK for an emotional week.
With forced smiles and awkward pleasantries, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially bowed out of their position as senior working royals. Arriving for the annual Commonwealth Day Service on March 9, Meghan was glamorous in a bold green Emilia Wickstead dress as she walked hand in hand with Harry into Westminster Abbey for their final official engagement.
The couple were shown straight to their second-row seats before Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived at their assigned places in the front row soon afterwards to wait for Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the Queen to enter. In a tense, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it interaction, Meghan smiled, mouthed ‘Hi’ and waved at the Cambridges, while Harry said ‘Hello’ to his brother. Kate offered a nod of acknowledgement, but William
was stony-faced and appeared not to make eye contact with his brother. There was no further interaction between the two of them nor their wives.
A source close to the family tells WHO that William hasn’t yet forgiven his brother for his decision to quit royal duties, and relations remain fractured. “They didn’t leave on good terms by any means,” the source revealed, “so they are both relieved that they’ve got this service over.”
The chilly reunion capped off a busy
– and at times bumpy – week for Meghan and Harry, who left 10-month-old son Archie behind in Canada while they tied off loose ends, both personally and publicly. On March 5, the pair surprised their 15 sacked household staff with a farewell lunch at The Goring Hotel in London. “They’ve all been through so much together, and the staff have been working around the clock to make sure this last visit was as seamless as possible,” a source told The New York Post. “Meghan and Harry really wanted to show their appreciation, and that they know how hard everyone has worked. They toasted the team and thanked them for everything they have done. Some of the staffers cried.”
Later that night, the Sussexes were met with cheers – and at least one loud boo – as they stepped out of their car to attend their first official appearance since returning to the UK, the 2020 Endeavour Fund Awards at London’s Mansion House. Meghan, 38, in a fitted blue Victoria Beckham dress, slick ponytail, movie-star makeup and Manolo Blahnik heels, smiled broadly and held onto her husband’s arm as they braved the rain and sweetly shared an umbrella to walk inside.
A dazzling photo of the couple instantly went viral, and, according to royal commentator Camilla Tominey, highlighted an essential aspect of royal life that the pair may come to miss once they are no longer beholden to the media’s royal protocol, where everything is controlled. “The snappers can get the perfect shot. What will happen when they are in America? How will it be staged and who will manage it?” she asked on UK TV show This Morning. “Until they leave the firm, they’ve got a cloak of security around them because they are being managed. When they’re celebs, it’ll all be different.”
Inside the event, the couple made small
“When they are celebs, it’ll be different” –CAMILLA TOMINEY
talk before each giving a speech. “Good evening everybody – it’s very nice to be back,” Meghan said. “It’s the third year that I’ve had the incredible fortune of joining my husband here and, as you all know and can feel, it is just the most inspiring space.”
In his speech, Harry, 35, seemed emotional as he addressed the servicemen and women in the room, saying: “I feel incredibly lucky to be able to count myself as one of you and I’m deeply proud to have served among you as Captain Wales. A lot of you tonight have told me you have my back; well I’m also here to tell you, I’ve always got yours … Being able to serve the Queen and country is something we’re all rightly proud of. It never leaves us. Once served, always serving.” It was previously announced that Harry will retain the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Commander and
Squadron Leader during a 12-month trial period as non-working royals, however, his honorary military positions will not be used. “The military was a part of his upbringing and his life. He brought a lot to those guys and understood things,” a palace insider told WHO. “It’s sad.”
Adding to what is no doubt already an emotional week,
Harry suited up in his formal red uniform, for what might be the last time in public, to attend the annual Mountbatten Music Festival. Meghan matched him in a caped gown by Safiyaa, with Stuart Weitzman pumps and a Manolo Blahnik clutch. Taking their places inside Royal Albert
Hall, the couple received a long standing ovation and gripped tightly onto each other’s hands as they acknowledged the applause.
The following day, Harry teamed up with Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton to attend the official opening of a British motor racing museum. Technically it has been open since October – a fact Harry cynically noted in his remarks. “I’ll keep this brief,” he jibed. “There’s nothing better than officially opening a building that is very much open!”
Meanwhile, Meghan stopped by Robert Clack Upper School in London to surprise the 700 students at an International Women’s Day assembly.
“I encourage and empower each of you to really stand in your truth, to stand for what is right – to continue to respect each other,” she said. “For young men, to continue to value and appreciate the women in your lives.”
“Stand in your truth … stand for what is right” –MEGHAN MARKLE
In leaving behind his royal duties, her husband is performing a balancing act of keeping the two most important women in his life happy. “[Harry] feels terrible about hurting his grandmother, whom he adores,” an insider tells Us Weekly. “[But] he had to put his wife first, end of story. Even if it’s left him feeling a bit isolated.”
Harry made sure to carve out some quality time with his grandmother during his trip home, strolling up to Windsor Castle from Frogmore Cottage to meet up with her for tea before Meghan’s arrival. “The Queen had a lot to talk to Harry about and this was the ideal time for them to both say their piece in private,” a source told UK’s The Sun of the four-hour chat, adding, “It was the first time the Queen has had the chance to talk to Harry on his own and really find out what his plans are.” It would seem the conversation went well, and a week later, the monarch, 93, invited the duke and duchess to join her for a church service in Windsor. “It was a really sweet gesture that the Queen asked them to church,” a source tells WHO. “It’s telling in the sense that these two are still her family. And, as a family, they all love each other.”
The Queen has also reportedly very much left the door open for the couple to return to the royal fold once their year-long experiment is over. “I could imagine Harry coming back,” says royal biographer Penny Junor. “He is giving up everything he’s known, a huge family that he’s very close to, and his work, to go and live in Canada where he actually knows nobody, and has no job.
“I hope they won’t wake up one day and think ‘What on earth have we done?’”