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Simon Duke

Meghan Markle wears earrings given to her by Queen for subtle but powerful gesture at Westminster

Meghan Markle paid tribute to the Queen in an understated but powerful fashion on Wednesday, as Her Majesty's coffin was taken to lay in state at Westminster Hall.

It had been six days since Queen Elizabeth had passed away at her much loved Scottish residence at Balmoral, at the age of 96. Her passing prompted an outpouring of grief across the world and also sparked a whole host of historic events over the past week. Her son, now King Charles III has been officially proclaimed as new monarch, while the Queen's coffin journeyed from Balmoral to Edinburgh, where crowds of people lined the streets to see the procession.

One of the most heart-breaking moments so far has been the sight of Her Majesty's four children stood round her coffin at St Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish capital, before her body was flown back to London as a huge crowds braved the rain to watch her final trip home to Buckingham Palace, where members of the Royal Family gathered.

READ MORE : Is Camilla now 'the Queen'? How Royal titles changed since Elizabeth II's death

Princes Harry and William, the new Prince of Wales, walked behind their late grandmother's coffin as it was taken the short distance from the Palace to Westminster Hall, where Meghan, Kate, Zara Phillips and Queen Consort, Camilla also headed for a special service.

The service was broadcast live on BBC and ITV and viewers noticed Meghan give a deep curtsy as she stood in front of the coffin but it was something the Duchess of Sussex chose to wear for the occasion which was the biggest tribute to the Queen. As well as wearing all black, the former Suits actress opted to wear a pair of pearl earrings given to her by the Queen to mark their first solo outing together in 2018.

Meghan Markle wears earrings given to her by Queen for subtle but powerful gesture at Westminster (Getty Images)

After the service attended by the Royals, the Hall was shut for just over an hour, before re-opening just after 5pm to let the first drove of people, some of whom had queued up overnight, in through the doors to file past the coffin, with many of them, like Meghan, honouring the Queen with a curtsy, bow or nod of the head as they stood opposite it.

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