The Royal Family and special guests gathered for a thanksgiving service this afternoon (Friday, June 3) as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
With the monarch missing herself following "discomfort" at yesterday's Trooping the Colour spectacle, all eyes were on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry as they joined the rest of the family at St Paul's Cathedral. It marked the first time they've both attended an official engagement since they quit their senior roles and moved to the US last year.
It's also the first time Meghan and Kate have been seen in public together since the Duchess of Sussex accused her sister-in-law of making her cry during her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Mirror reports. Meghan and Harry were seen chatting to some members of the family as they arrived, sharing a joke with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands.
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However many royal fans were left wondering why the Sussexes had been seated so far away from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, especially as they were sitting just behind them at their last royal engagement in 2020. While many believed it was due to the well-documented rift between the brothers, the seating plan is actually just down to royal protocol.
As is traditional, the royals arrived in order of seniority, which meant Prince Charles was the last to walk into the cathedral in the Queen's absence. The Monarch, 96, had been due to attend but pulled out last night.
The least senior royals, including Mike and Zara Tindall, arrived first followed by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their two children. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands were next, and then it was Harry and Meghan's time.
Huge cheers could be heard as the couple stepped out of the car and they walked into the historical building holding hands. They spent a few minutes talking to the senior cleric before they entered the place of worship and proceeded to greet the long line of clergy taking part in today’s service of Thanksgiving. Harry stopped to chat for a few moments with the Archbishop of York before the couple were taken to their seats.
They sat in the second row with Harry's cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie. However, as senior members of the royal family, Kate and her husband Prince William were sat further forward - taking seats in the front row with Charles and Camilla.
Kate wore a stunning Emilia Wickstead dress and a Philip Treacy hat, while Meghan sported a smart white coat dress with a matching hat. The Duchess of Cornwall wore an ivory and gold embroidered coat dress by Fiona Clare and a hat by Philip Treacy.
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