Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s final engagement as senior royals was the Commonwealth Day Service in 2020 – but it was marred by tensions behind-the-scenes

Prince Harry, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton before the feud that has consumed the family

Meghan Markle andPrince Harry’s final hurrah as working royals didn’t exactly go off without a hitch, with whispers of backstage drama tinging the event.

Once considered luminaries of the Commonwealth, great things were anticipated from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their engagements with its 54 member nations. However, Queen Elizabeth II, in one of her last official acts, relieved them of their roles as president and vice-president of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust following their decision to step back as senior royals.

Their farewell appearance took place at the Commonwealth Day Service in 2020 – a scene we won’t see replayed at this year’s service at Westminster Abbey under the reign of new monarch King Charles III. This marked the Sussexes’ first public interaction with the Royal Family since they declared their intentions to step back.

Learning they would not participate in the Queen’s procession at the outset of the service, and instead be seated among other guests, reportedly left the Sussexes “upset and emotional”. But, in a swift move to sidestep escalating tensions, Prince William and Kate Middleton made a spontaneous alteration.

The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at the Commonwealth Service in 2020

Harry and Meghan arriving at Westminster Abbey in 2020

The Royal family’s dynamics took center stage when in an unexpected move, the couple aligned with Meghan and Harry’s decision to forgo the traditional procession, opting instead to take their seats directly, a choice made after the service programs had been printed, leading to outdated information, according to Daily Mail reports. Despite this attempt at solidarity, the atmosphere was reportedly tense, and interactions were minimal.

When the Sussexes arrived, they settled into the second row but did not rise to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales upon their entrance. The previous year saw Meghan and Kate exchange double cheek kisses, yet this time around, their greetings were noticeably subdued, amounting to a brief exchange of words as they awaited Charles’s arrival.

Meghan, already seated, offered a simple “hello” and an awkward wave to the arriving royals. Harry also exchanged pleasantries, but the conversation quickly ended as he turned his attention back to Meghan. Meanwhile, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, engaged warmly with the Sussexes, sharing a laugh together.

In his book, ‘Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors’, Royal expert Tom Bower revealed a “monumental argument” that erupted after “Palace officials … decided to publicly humiliate [Harry and Meghan]”. He penned: “Reality hit two days later, on 9th March. A monumental argument blew up after Harry was told that he and Meghan could not join the family’s procession through Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day Service.”

“Although the order of service listed Harry and Meghan walking behind the Queen, Palace officials had revised their decision. Suspicious about the Sussexes they decided to publicly humiliate them. Harry was told that having stepped down from royal duties, he and Meghan would sit and wait with the congregation. The prospect of the televised image of their isolation in the Abbey appalled them.”

“By then they were keenly aware of Kate and William’s antagonism. William had not offered a brotherly welcome and Kate was outright distant towards her sister-in-law. Eventually, to end the dispute, William and Kate agreed they too would wait with Harry and Meghan. As the members of the Royal Family filed into the Abbey, the frayed relationships could not be concealed. Kate had blanked the Sussexes and William’s greeting was cold. Harry looked strained. Meghan’s face showed bemusement.”

In the Netflix docuseries, Harry opened up about his anxiety during a family reunion, saying, “The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in Westminster Abbey,” and shared, “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. 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.”