Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first joint public appearance with the royal family in 2 years
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle publicly reunited with the royal family for the first time in two years.
- The couple attended a royal event at St Paul's Cathedral in honor of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly reunited with the royal family for the first time after more than two years for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were photographed at the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral in London for the Jubilee weekend in honor of the Queen's 70-year anniversary on the British throne. The couple traveled from California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, for the celebrations.
They entered the cathedral separately from other family members and prior to the arrival of Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Upon their arrival, they were seen being greeted by a clergy member.
The duchess wore a crisp white belted coatdress that featured an exaggerated collar. She paired the outfit with a coordinating fascinator, diamond earrings, and heels. Meanwhile, the duke wore a dresscoat pinned with a selection of medals.
Inside the cathedral, photos showed the couple interacting with Princess Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Eugenie. They ended up taking their seats alongisde them, which was behind the row seating Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
However, not every royal family member was in attendance. Notable absences from the service included Prince Andrew, who did not attend due to a positive COVID-19 result, and the Queen herself.
Instead, she watched the service from home at Windsor Castle after Buckingham Palace confirmed to Insider she would miss the service due to experiencing "discomfort" at the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday.
At the same event, both Markle and Harry were located watching from a VIP section.
The visit marks the duchess' first public appearance with the royal family since she and Prince Harry completed their final royal engagement in April 2020.
Harry visited the UK for Prince Philip's funeral in April last year, and again in July for a statue unveiling of his late mother Princess Diana. Harry and Markle made a brief visit to the Queen before traveling to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games earlier this year.
The reunion comes after rumors of a rift between the Sussexes and the royal family which began shortly after Markle married Harry in 2018. The couple spoke about some of the rumors during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
During the interview, Markle said that Kate Middleton made her cry over bridesmaids' dresses before her wedding, and that an unnamed royal made racist remarks about Archie's skin tone.
"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," Buckingham Palace said in a statement in response to the interview. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."