Another Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey has come and gone. There are memorable moments from the event each year but perhaps none as memorable as Commonwealth Day 2020.
That was the year the royal family and other guests in attendance took precautions and refrained from shaking hands amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. It was also Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s last royal engagement. The tension between the Sussexes and other members of the family inside the church that day didn’t go noticed. There were reports that Harry was even holding back tears. Here’s what the Duke of Sussex revealed about that day.
The Commonwealth Day service was Meghan and Harry’s last engagement
March 9, 2020 was the Sussexes’ final royal engagement before officially stepping back from their roles as senior royals.
For the occasion, Meghan donned a green dress by Emilia Wickstead and a matching-colored hat with detailed netting by William Chambers. The duchess was all smiles when they arrived at the church and throughout the service.
Harry, meanwhile, wore a blue suit and tie but did not appear as cheery as his wife. In fact, the Sussexes’ expressions were opposite as the prince looked upset entering and once inside the church.
Author claims the duke was holding back tears
Meghan and Harry were seated in the second pew just behind Prince William, who exchanged pleasantries with the couple before sitting down. However, according to author and historian Robert Lacey, Harry’s gloomy expression had to do with his and his wife’s names not being listed in the procession with other members of the royal family.
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In his book titled Battle of Brothers, Lacey claimed the Duke of Sussex perceived that as a “snub” and was reportedly holding back tears.
“Throughout the service, Meghan megawatted away with her best TV smile but, as the ceremony progressed, Harry appeared to grow gloomier,” Lacey wrote per The Mirror. He added that one observer thought “[the prince’s] accelerated blinking even suggested he might have been fighting back tears.’”
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle attending Commonwealth Day Service | Phil Harris – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Harry reveals what he was feeling that day
The duke spoke about that day and how he was feeling in the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan. The couple stated that before that service that hadn’t seen Harry’s relatives for a while after spending the holidays in Canada revealing: “The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in Westminster Abbey.”
Harry then explained: “We were nervous seeing the family because all the TV cameras and everybody watching at home and everybody watching in the audience. It’s like living through a soap opera where everybody else views you as entertainment.
“I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like. And it looked cold. But it also felt cold.”
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