It seems like so long ago now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were working royals and attending events with the rest of the duke’s family as was the case until the couple’s exit in 2020.
The Sussexes’ last royal engagement was a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. While that appearance got a lot of attention then and has been analyzed several times since, another Commonwealth Day appearance years prior went viral and has resurfaced following an inquiry into the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended their first Commonwealth Day service together in 2018, two months before they were married. Now footage from that day is making the rounds again and stirring up all kinds of feelings as Meghan is seen laughing after Payne’s performance.
Clip of Meghan laughing at Prince Harry following Payne’s performance
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey | DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
On March 13, 2018, the late singer was one of the performers at the Commonwealth Day service. He sang a rendition of John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change.” Something that struck many people is the video that went viral after Payne’s performance showing Meghan look at Harry before laughing and putting her head down as she giggled.
One video posted on TikTok that has garnered thousands of views and hundreds of likes contains the caption: “Remember when Harry and Meghan laughed at Liam Payne’s performance?”
Several news publications also posted the video with the headlines: “Prince Harry leaves Meghan Markle in hysterics after Liam Payne performance” and “Watch Meghan Markle Giggle With Prince Harry After Liam Payne’s Commonwealth Day Performance.”
Royal watchers did not hold back with comments about Meghan and Harry’s behavior during the service writing: “They act inappropriately everywhere just add this moment to the list. They should have at least clapped,” “She’s a disgrace no respect for anything or anyone” and “Two bullies laughing this sickens me.”
Debate erupts over what the duchess was actually giggling at
However, not everyone is convinced that the duke and duchess were laughing at Payne’s performance.
As one person said: “They were smiling at something else not Payne’s performance. People always tend to exaggerate.”
Another added: “They never laughed at him. Jeeeezzzz isn’t there enough fake stories for people to hate [them] without making rubbish like this up!”
A third person pointed out: “I don’t think their look is connected to the performance as no one around them is applauding.” And a fourth agreed writing, “Think there’s been a bit of editing going on here since no one around them is clapping. I don’t think the bit of film is related to the performance.”
On Oct. 16, 2024, Payne was found dead outside a hotel he was staying at in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from a third-floor balcony. He was 31. On Jan. 8, 2025, U.K. authorities determined his official cause of death to be “polytrauma,” a term that refers to multiple injuries to a person’s body and organ systems.
