Kate Middleton’s last-minute act of kindness to ‘defuse’ tension with ‘upset’ Meghan laid bare

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s final engagement as working royals was marred in controversy – with reported tensions behind-the-scenes.

Once lauded as the the stars of the Commonwealth, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were expected to do great work with the 54 nations. However, the late Queen Elizabeth II stripped the pair from their positions as president and vice-president of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust after they stepped down as senior royals.

Their last engagement was at the Commonwealth Day Service in 2020 – and they won’t be appearing at this year’s service at Westminster Abbey with new monarch King Charles III. It was the first time that Harry and Meghan had come face-to-face with members of the Royal Family publicly since they announced their plans to quit.

The Sussexes were said to be “upset and emotional” after learning they couldn’t be part of the Queen’s procession at the start of the service, instead being shown to their seats with the rest of the the guests. But in a bid to avoid any more drama, Prince William and Kate Middleton made a last minute change to try and ease the tension, reported the Daily Mail.

The couple offered to join Meghan and Harry in skipping the procession, meaning they all waited for the service to start in their seats. The decision was only made on the day itself, after the order of services were printing – meaning they were incorrect. However their gesture reportedly didn’t work, and their meeting seemed slightly awkward as both couples took their seats.

The Sussexes arrived first and sat in the second row and didn’t stand to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales when they arrived shortly afterwards. Meghan and Kate greeted each other with a kiss on each cheek the previous year, but they seemed more reserved and only exchanged a few words as they waited for Charles to arrive.

The former Suits actress, who was already sitting down, could be seen saying “hello” and giving an awkward wave. Harry also greeted them, but that was as far of their conversation went, with the prince then turning to talk to his wife. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie did lean over to chat to the Sussexes and could be seen laughing together.

In his book, ‘Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors’, royal expert Tom Bower claimed a “monumental argument” took place after “Palace officials … decided to publicly humiliate [Harry and Meghan]”. He wrote: “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 their Netflix series, Harry admitted he was anxious when he was reunited with some pf his family members for the first time. “The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in Westminster Abbey,” explained Harry. “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.”