Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spent little time in Britain since stepping down from their royal duties. However, there have been a few major occasions which have drawn the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back to the UK. While Harry returned for his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021, Meghan’s first big public reunion with the royals came at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year. It was a year after Meghan launched a series of criticisms at the Royal Family in their bombshell interview with Oprah.
At the time, there was speculation about whether the pair would attend because of the frosty relationship with Harry’s family – especially the Prince and Princess of Wales – following the interview.
In the end, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended just one event out of the entire four-day celebrations – the Service of Thanksgiving held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Although their time at the event was brief, they managed to engage in a quick catch-up with Zara, Harry’s cousin, and her husband Mike.
As the religious service concluded, the two couples were spotted exchanging words on the Cathedral’s steps while awaiting their cars. Thanks to lip reader Juliet Sullivan, we now know precisely what was said, including a sweet compliment from Meghan to Zara.
According to Sullivan, Harry and Zara briefly discussed the whereabouts of their respective vehicles, as reported by Mail Online.
Harry then expressed his admiration for Zara’s outfit. He said: “Love your outfit. I didn’t know what colours you would wear—blue, pink, orange.”
Meghan chimed in, adding: “You look great.”
Despite this heartwarming exchange, royal enthusiasts were more interested in observing the interaction between Harry and his brother, Prince William.
However, the brothers were intentionally kept apart throughout the event, with assigned seats on opposite sides of the cathedral.
Body language expert Judi James analysed the different social interactions during the event, at the time.
She that Zara was appearing to be “reigning herself in” during her interactions with Harry and Meghan.
Judi said: “Zara has naturally demonstrative, tactile and spontaneous body language but it is clear from the most recent shots of her standing with Harry and Meghan that she is reigning herself in.
“She looks polite and she looks friendly but the way she has clasped her hands in front of her torso, clutching her bag, suggests a lack of desire to touch or engage any more intimately, despite the wide grin that Harry is trying to perform.”
According to Judi, there was also an air of awkwardness on the part of Prince William.
As the parade concluded and the attendees exited the service, William made a telling move when he walked past Harry’s row.
Judi observed that he appeared to turn his head in the opposite direction momentarily, sucking in his lips and raising his order of service as a gesture of resolve—an unmistakable sign of their strained relationship.
James also praised Meghan for her flawless appearance amidst the challenging circumstances.
“Her posture was upright, and her smile projected a sense of calm during this low-key appearance,” she told The Mirror.
