Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly raised eyebrows in their first public engagement when they were in the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration last month. According to a royal commentator, the couple was supposed to walk with his royal cousins.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Reportedly Opted For 'Solo Walk' At St. Paul's Cathedral
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their royal duties in 2020. Their first public outing in Britain after they moved to the United States was when they attended the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral in honor of the Queen for her 70 years on the throne.
According to reports, they received a mix of cheers and boos upon their arrival and departure. Just like the crowd, the royals were reportedly upset when they decided to walk on their own inside the chapel instead of joining his royal cousins, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, with their husbands.
"The Telegraph has also learned that the Sussexes’ decision to take a solo walk down the lengthy aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral for the service of thanksgiving on June 3 'raised eyebrows' behind palace walls - not least when they could have walked with Beatrice, Eugenie and their husbands, who were seated next to them in the pews," royal correspondent Camilla Tominey wrote for The Telegraph.
Tominey noted that Prince Harry and Markle were spotted leaving Clarence House Friday morning with Prince Andrew's two daughters because they were in a security "pod" after having expressed concerns about their level of protection. However, the Sussexes decided to walk their way inside the chapel after the Princesses of York.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle At St. Paul's Chapel
Inside the chapel, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat on the opposite sides of the aisles from the senior members of the royal family — Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Princess Anne and more. They took the left side while the Cambridges and the rest of the working royals took the right side.
An anonymous source told Us Weekly that it was the palace's decision to "keep them on opposite sides of [the] cathedral to avoid unwanted attention." During the 2022 Commonwealth Day Service, Prince Harry and Markle's final official engagement, the Cambridges and Sussexes were scrutinized due to their lack of interaction.
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"Senior members of the royal family were seated in the front row and non-senior members in the second row," the insider added.
Prince Harry, Markle, Prince William and Middleton didn't interact during the thanksgiving service. According to eyewitnesses, the senior royals were keeping their distance from the Sussexes. They were seen chatting with Sarah Tindall after the service, outside the chapel before they left.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal couple.
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