Tomorrow, members of the Royal Family will mark Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey – and the annual service six years ago was the tense final royal engagement for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Meghan wanted to be a ‘part time Princess Diana’ royal author claims(Image: PA)
It’s always the first event of the year in the royal calendar – and one where senior members of the Firm all gather for a lively and colourful service at Westminster Abbey. And tomorrow, Commonwealth Day is set to roll around yet again, and among those attending this year are the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princes Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Two royals set to miss out are the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, while another two who have not attended the event now for many years is Prince Harry and Meghan. In fact, the event in 2020 marked their last royal engagement before quitting as senior royals to carve out new lives for themselves in North America.
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The Sussexes last royal outing was at the 2020 Commonwealth Day service (Image: Getty Images)
They attended the service alongside other members of the Firm – and many remarked on the tension between the family members. And according to a book, Harry appeared to be “fighting back the tears” at the huge event following what he and Meghan perceived to be a “snub”.
Before the ceremony in 2020, 2,000 orders of service had been distributed detailing that William and Kate would enter the Abbey with the main royal party. However, there was no mention of Harry and Meghan being in the procession, with the Daily Mail reporting the couple was “quite sensitive and emotional about it”.
This reportedly led to William and Kate not walking in the procession in an attempt to resolve the issue – despite the orders of service stating otherwise. And in his book Battle of Brothers, royal author and historian Robert Lacey says even though Meghan had a “megawatt” smile, Harry was more gloomy. He writes: “Observers also noted that Harry’s face was ‘quite tense and unsmiling’ – and that when William sat down close to him, he barely greeted his brother.
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Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020(Image: PA)
Throughout the service, Meghan megawatted away with her best TV smile but, as the ceremony progressed, Harry appeared to grow gloomier. According to one observer, ‘his accelerated blinking even suggested he might have been fighting back tears.'”
Harry later told how he felt at the service in his and Meghan’s controversial Netflix series released at the end of 2022. The service was the first time he and Meghan had seen many family members since an extended Christmas stay in Canada – and the news broke about them quitting the Firm.
Harry explained: “The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in Westminster Abbey. We were nervous seeing the family because all the TV cameras and everybody watching at home and everybody watching in the audience. It’s like living through a soap opera where everybody else views you as entertainment.
Harry said the service felt ‘cold'(Image: WireImage)
“I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like. And it looked cold. But it also felt cold.”
However, the royals will be hoping for a much happier event tomorrow, as the service will include an address from Royal Commonwealth Society ambassador Geri Halliwell-Horner, a reflection from Oti Mabuse and a poem from Selina Tusitala Marsh, the inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate.
As head of the Commonwealth, Charles issues an annual message to the 56 member-nations which will hold their biennial Commonwealth meeting this year during the first week of November in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda. Inspired by the meeting’s theme – accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous commonwealth – the service will celebrate collaboration as the defining strength of the modern family of nations.
Among the congregation will be Commonwealth high commissioners, Government representatives, young people and leading voices from the creative community. The service will feature landmark artistic moments, including the world premiere of the Commonwealth Symphony, composed by Rekesh Chauhan, and a bespoke dance collaboration between the Royal Ballet School and Sapnay Entertainments, uniting classical ballet and Bollywood in a powerful expression of cross-cultural partnership.
Other performers include a Scottish ceilidh band, the Melodians Steel Orchestra and further special reflections and readings from guests.
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