Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have been estranged from the royal family for five years, but people still reminisce about the past, including an awkward interaction Meghan had with Kate Middleton.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took part in a number of public engagements during their time as working royals – including joining the rest of the royal family at the 2019 Trooping the Color.
It was the last time Harry and Meghan attended the yearly event and eagle eyed fans noticed an uncomfortable moment the Sussexes had.
Meghan and Harry were accompanied on the balcony by numerous royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth, then Prince Charles and Camilla, as well as Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children.
As all the royals waved to their adoring fans along the Mall and enjoyed the RAF flypast, fans thought they noticed an uncomfortable interaction between Harry and Meghan, creating a tense atmosphere on the balcony.
With the sound playing, the footage shows the moment occurred just a second or so before the National Anthem started playing, meaning there’s a good chance Harry was actually just giving Meghan a heads up that the music was about to start playing so she wasn’t caught out looking the wrong way.
Instead of standing awkwardly after an assumed tense exchange, they are actually just listening to the opening part of God Save the Queen.
Before stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only made appearances at two Trooping the Color celebrations, in 2018 and 2019.
The 2018 procession took place shortly after Meghan and Harry’s lavish wedding at Windsor Castle. By the time they attended the Trooping in 2019, their first child Prince Archie had just been born.
Trooping the Color, an annual event that has celebrated the official birthday of the King or Queen for over 260 years, involves hundreds of horses and soldiers executing intricate battlefield drills to military music. The grand spectacle brings together more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.
During the parade, the royals travel from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, either on horseback or in carriages. Once at Horse Guards, they observe the military display before rejoining the procession back to Buckingham Palace.
Following the parade, the royals assemble on the Palace balcony for a march-past and the RAF fly-past, which includes the Red Arrows, marking the conclusion of the day’s festivities.