Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make final appearance as senior royals
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have attended their final official royal event, as the couple were forced to sit behind senior members of the family.
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Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex are finished as working royals, putting on a brave face for the millions of eyes watching them in their final event for Commonwealth Day.
The couple were met with a big cheer as they walked into Westminster Abbey, early on Wednesday Australian time, for the Queen’s annual Commonwealth Day Service.
Meghan stunned in another bold-coloured outfit, wearing an emerald green Emilia Wickstead dress for the service with Harry colour-co-ordinating the lining of his suit to his wife.
Prince Harry appeared more sombre than the Duchess, keeping a straight face as Meghan smiled to the crowd.
Inside the Abbey, Prince Harry and Meghan worked their way up the line of dignitaries and adhering to recent coronavirus protocol set by Westminster Abbey, by not shaking hands with guests.
Prince Harry shared a brief nod with Prime Minister Boris Johnson before spending more time speaking with the controversial Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland.
Livestream of the event showed the PM appearing displeased at his lack of time with the prince, laughing and staring awkwardly before the duke moved on.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex then greeted Prince William and Kate as they came into the Abbey and took their seats a row ahead of them, as per royal protocol.
The brothers and their wives shared a wave with each of them saying “hi” and “hello”.
It was the first public meeting of the two brothers and their wives since Megxit was announced in January - before Prince Charles and Camilla also arrived and the Queen then made an entrance to trumpet fanfare and cheers from crowds outside.
Police were on high alert at the Commonwealth Day service, an event that almost spiralled out of control when protesters from Cameroon broke through a security banner and onto the road.
Police crash tackled the two protesters and arrested them less than an hour before the royals were due to be driven down the same stretch. The two men remain in police custody for “breach of Anti-Terrorism Road Traffic Regs”, Metropolitan Police said.
Julius Nji, 40, of Bristol, was among the protesters demanding that Cameroon be kicked out of the Commonwealth.
He said the British speaking people in Cameroon were victims of violence and genocide.
Now they want their independence from Cameroon for a new country that they have declared as Amazonia.
“One of our members was just trying to make their voice heard,” he said.
“That is why you see people reacting but they have taken him away.”
“We want our independence.”
The violent protests kicked off about an hour before the Queen arrived for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
At least a dozen extra police were mobilised to protect the royals, with two vans full of officers arriving about 10 minutes after the first arrest.
An officer speaking to protesters tried to reason with the group.
“If we let one person run across the road, then another person you’ll all start to go and it’s anarchy,” the officer, who refused to give his name, said.
MEGHAN, QUEEN REUNITE AMID MEGXIT
Earlier, Meghan Markle and the Queen reunited for the first time since the “Megxit” drama.
The Duchess of Sussex – who is back in London for a series of farewell events – smiled as she arrived at The Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor with her husband, just a few days after the Queen promised they would always be part of the royal family, The Sun reports.
It marked the first time Meghan has seen the British monarch after she and Prince Harry dramatically announced they were quitting as full-time royals.
While Prince Harry has seen the Queen several times since January, Meghan had remained in Canada until now.
A royal insider said the Queen was showing support to Harry and Meghan by inviting them to church.
A source told People: “It was a really sweet gesture that the Queen asked them to church”.
“It’s telling in the sense that these two are still her family. And as a family they all love each other.”
Prince Harry, 35, was pictured driving as Meghan sat in the passenger seat of a car, wearing a fascinator.
The Queen was also seen arriving for the Sunday service at the Windsor church, sporting sunglasses and a pale blue outfit.
QUEEN DEFIANT AMID CORONAVIRUS FEARS
The Queen has decided it’s time to take off the gloves and declared she will not be slowed down by the coronavirus, planning to keep calm and carry on to stop the growing panic over the spread of the disease.
After wearing gloves at an official function on March 3, she has now taken them off at a recent event in a bid to show the UK – and the world – that everyone needs to just get on with it.
As the confirmed cases of the disease rose above 200 in the UK, the monarch, 93, was determined to lead by example and continue her duties — even making trips overseas, sources told the Mail on Sunday.
It includes the much anticipated Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey, with a congregation of 2000 expected to attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s final official engagement before Megxit.
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It will also be the first time the now Canadian residents get together with the rest of the royals since their leaving announcement.
The Queen — who recently wore gloves to hand out awards — is determined to set an example by “keeping calm and carrying on” until there is “compelling advice to the contrary,” according to a senior royal source.
“It is thought that if the Queen or other senior members of the Royal Family were to self-isolate or change their plans it might spark panic in the general population,” the source said.
Another source noted that the Queen has always lived up to the motto that first appeared to prepare Britain for World War II.
“The Queen didn’t change her schedule during the swine flu outbreak and has never changed her schedule after terrorist attacks. It’s business as usual.”
Buckingham Palace said it was “following current Government advice.”
“We would not speculate on what that advice might be in the future,” a spokesman said.
MEGHAN MARKLE DAZZLES IN RED
Meghan turned heads in a daring red dress for an official engagement at Royal Albert Hall.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a standing ovation from the audience at the Mountbatten Festival of Music as they took their seats.
Meghan wore a long Safiyaa dress, with Simone Rocha earrings, and red heels by Aquazurra.
Prince Harry, who attended in his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, sported a matching officer’s mess jacket complete with medals awarded from touring Afghanistan.
This was the last time that Harry attended a formal engagement in his capacity as a member of the Royal Marines.
It’s been a tumultuous few months for the royal family but according to sources, Prince Harry and his father, Prince Charles, are as close as they’ve ever been. Since returning to the UK last week to fulfil the last of his royal duties, Prince Harry is said to have spent hours and hours with his father.
Their appearance comes amid reports that Prince Charles respects his son’s decision to quit royal duties.
According to The Sun, an insider said, “Harry is and always has been incredibly close to his father.
“And nothing that has happened in the last few months has changed that.
“Charles, in particular, felt that the work and causes Harry and Meghan were embarking on could be really served by remaining within the Royal household. But like any loving father, now Harry has made his decision Charles is keen to support him.
“Since Harry came back he has seen his father and they have discussed what Harry wants to do in the future. Harry hugely respects his father’s opinion and has welcomed the advice he has given him.”
Prince Harry reportedly sat down with the Queen for a four-hour chat this week in which the royal matriarch told her grandson he would always be welcome in the royal family.
MEGHAN WEARS $57 TOPSHOP SHIRT
Meghan Markle managed to fit a secret trip to the theatre in London on Saturday despite the eyes of the world being on her for her final days as a senior royal.
The soon-to-be retired royal visited an immersive art exhibition at the National Theatre this week, as she said her goodbye to the UK.
The Duchess of Sussex dropped news of her trip on Instagram, posting pictures showing her wearing a white $57 Topshop blouse and a pencil skirt.
The choice of attire will be a boon for the stores, which are struggling in the UK, and spectacularly failed in Australia.
A post on the @royalsussex Instagram early on Saturday Australian time said: “Yesterday, The Duchess of Sussex, Royal patron of the National Theatre, visited the Immersive Storytelling Studio in London, where emerging technology like Virtual Reality is being used to develop new forms of emotive storytelling.”
Markle is patron of the National Theatre and had been visiting there the day that she and Prince Harry hurriedly dropped out their bombshell statement in January that they wanted to leave the royal family.
The Duchess of Sussex appeared at the Endeavour Awards in London on Thursday night local time wearing a bold electric blue dress from Victoria Beckham, valued at about $2000.
They have just two days before they jet off from the United Kingdom for good and officially start their new life in Canada where they aim to become financially independent.
However, Markle was expected to keep her role as patron of the theatre, with bosses there confident she could juggle the role with her new life outside the royal family.
She was also spotted at the Robert Clack School in East London for an off grid event wearing a white jacket and dark pants as teachers and students welcomed her to the classrooms in a working class area of London.
Prince Charles visited the school in 2007, with reports from the time saying he saw how a group of dedicated teachers had turned it from one of the worst, to one of the best schools in the country.
A photograph of Prince Charles is still on the school’s website, with Markle’s pictures sure to go alongside as pride of place for the historic moment.
There are plans for Markle to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday local time but details of the trip have not been announced.
Her final act as a royal will be at the Commonwealth Day service alongside the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Catherine and Harry.
HARRY GETS A LIFT WITH LEWIS
Prince Harry has opened a new motoring museum with Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton.
The Duke of Sussex was driven to the new Silverstone Racetrack museum, two hours north of London, in Hamilton’s electric Mercedes with the British Formula 1 racer keeping his speed to a minimum.
Prince Harry, dressed in a relaxed navy button-down shirt and green pants, arrived at the track early Saturday morning, Australian time, before waving to fans and walking inside.
Hamilton and the Duke were opening the Silverstone Experience, an immersive museum that tells the story of British racing.
Prince Harry made light of the fact that the museum had already been open to the public since October.
“I’ll keep this brief – there’s nothing better than officially opening a building that is very much open,” he said.
They also met students from a few local schools in the Tech Lab section to learn more about the science used in racing and to encourage kids to get into engineering.
After their quick tour, Hamilton and the Duke wandered outside, chatting casually before sharing a hug and parting ways.
Prince Harry has just a few days left as a working royal before he and Meghan return to their son Archie in Canada.
The 35-year-old has had a busy schedule since returning to the UK last week, kicking off his farewell tour at an eco-tourism event in Scotland where he told the crowd “just call me Harry”.
The Prince then reunited with his wife at Thursday night’s Endeavour Fund Awards, with the pair braving the rain to honour ex-servicemen and women exceeding in sport and adventure.
The Endeavour Fund is close to Harry’s heart, with the Prince deciding to start the charity after returning from service in the Middle East.
In an emotional speech at the awards, Prince Harry thanked the crowd of veterans for having his back.
“A lot of you tonight have told me you have my back, well, I’m also here to tell you, I’ll always have yours,” he said.
The couple’s final event as working royals will be on Monday’s Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey where they will spend the day with the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla and Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.