When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at the
Commonwealth Day Service - their final royal engagement - they took their seats
with the rest of the guests.
Their arrival was a sharp contrast to their entrance at last
year's celebration, when they chatted, hugged and kissed other members of the
Royal Family before taking part in the Queen's procession.
But as they prepare to quit their roles in favour of a new
life in Canada, Meghan and Harry were reportedly not permitted to take part
this year.
The decision, which came directly from the Queen's office,
hit the couple hard and they were "upset and emotional" when they
were told, reports the Daily Mail .
The announcement was made yesterday morning, just hours
before the Royals arrived at the abbey.
Another last-minute change saw the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge also pull out, reportedly
to try and defuse the tension between the Queen and the Sussexes .
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 Sunday, after the order of
services were printed - meaning they were incorrect.
Buckingham Palace told the newspaper that the last minute
changes weren't anything to worry about, saying there is "no set
format" for the event.
However, no comment was made on why the order of services
were wrong.
An aide said: "The Wessexes, Sussexes and Cambridges
are all processing straight to their seats. The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of
Cornwall and The Queen are in the procession.
"It’s not unusual for Members of the Royal Family to be
travelling in Commonwealth countries during Commonwealth week. There is no
further comment."
Things appeared a tad awkward when the Fab Four came
together in their seats, with Meghan and Harry in the second row with Prince
Edward and Sophie Wessex behind Kate and William.
Last year Meghan and Kate greeted each other with a kiss on
each cheek, but they seemed more reserved yesterday.
While it wouldn't have been possible for them to kiss, the
two couples exchanged only one or two words as they waited for the Queen and
Prince Charles to arrive.
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