The scrutiny Meghan Markle and Prince Harry faced at the Queen's Jubilee proves they made the right decision to quit royal life

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry traveled to the UK for the Queen's Jubilee last weekend.
• They were met with public scrutiny that was reminiscent of the time before their step back.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the Queen's Jubilee celebrations last weekend, which marked their first joint appearance in the UK since their step back in 2020.

The couple kept a low profile, attending only a small handful of public events including the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral alongside the royal family on June 3.

But despite this, the Sussexes were constantly in the headlines and appeared to be met with criticism by both the UK public and press.

Harry and Meghan's every move was watched over the course of the Jubilee weekend

Every event the couple attended during the course of the Jubilee weekend was dissected and commented upon.

The couple watched Trooping the Colour on June 2 but did not greet fans on the balcony, as per the Queen's request for only senior working royals to do so. When photos emerged of Harry and Markle watching the parade privately, some tabloids including the Daily Mail questioned why they weren't photographed with Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are senior royals and had starring roles in the event.

The following day, they attended the Thanksgiving service. And while they were met with cheers upon their arrival, a video published by the New York Post shows they were booed when leaving the event.

On June 6, Harry and Markle shared a new photo of their daughter, Lilibet, on her first birthday which the family celebrated privately in Windsor on Saturday.

The tabloids' reactions to the photo were dramatic.

The Sun reported that the couple had been banned from photographing Lilibet's first meeting with the Queen, who she was named after. Meanwhile, royal author Christopher Anderson told Us Weekly that William and Middleton made "no effort" to introduce their children to Lilibet, even though the family was in Wales on the day of her birthday for a pre-arranged Jubilee event.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Buckingham Palace, and Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Prince Harry and Meghan also faced renewed scrutiny over their relationship with Prince William and Kate

Much of the media focus has been on the seemingly tense relationship with the Cambridge family and the Sussex family. Harry and William have had a rumored rift for years, and they previously appeared to avoid speaking with one another at the Sussexes' final royal engagement before their step back in 2020.

Fans eagerly waited to see the brothers reunite at the Jubilee, however, there were no photos of the two couples together at any of the events.

At the Service of Thanksgiving, Harry and Markle were seated in the row behind William and Middleton. This may have been an intentional decision, according to the royal historian Marlene Koenig, who previously told Insider that there could have been a "concerted effort" to ensure the brothers weren't photographed looking "stoic" alongside each other.

She said that not having these photographs would reduce public speculation about their relationship.

The couple can live on their own terms in California

The scrutiny Harry and Markle faced while working royals played a part in their decision to step back. The Queen even said as much in a rare statement shared by Buckingham Palace in January 2020.

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family. I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life," Her Majesty said.

One famous example was when Markle gave birth to her first child, Archie, in 2019 and was accused of breaking royal tradition by keeping the details surrounding his birth private.

In June 2021, she gave birth to their second child, Lilibet, in California, where they relocated after stepping back from royal duties. The recent release of Lilibet's photo during the Jubilee weekend, however, renewed the public commentary on the family's private life.

Writing in The Irish Times, Jennifer O'Connell points out how varied the reactions were to Markle and Harry's photo of Lilibet on her first birthday on Saturday, from people who rejoiced about her hair color to those who speculated if she was Markle's child. O'Connell writes that the Jubilee weekend inspired "an orgy of Meghan-baiting" and "curtain-twitching, tight-lipped vitriol."

Markle spoke about her family's right to privacy during an interview with Oprah last year.

"There's no one who's on Instagram or social media that would say, 'Because I shared this one picture, that entitles you to have my entire camera roll. Go ahead and look through it.' No one would want that," she said, adding that "it's about boundaries" and "respect."

Now that the couple has returned to California, they can continue to live on their own terms.