William and Kate’s last-minute gesture to Harry and Meghan fails
Kate, William's gesture to Harry, Meghan at Commonwealth Day falls through
Kate Middleton and Prince William reportedly extended a kind, last-minute gesture during Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s final engagement as senior royals. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their royal duties in 2020.
At the 2020 Commonwealth Day service, Harry and Meghan reportedly became emotional and upset after being excluded from the senior royals’ main VIP party. They were expected to make their own way to the front of Westminster Abbey and wait for the other royals to arrive.
To ease the tension, Kate and William offered to join the Sussexes while waiting for the Queen. However, this plan fell through as 2,000 printed orders of service already indicated that the Prince and Princess of Wales would arrive with the other royals. The two couples exchanged brief and uncomfortable greetings before taking their seats in the Abbey. Despite the peace offering, relations remained strained.
This was so evil 4 William & Kate 2 do 2 Harry & Meghan esp w/awareness of Meghan’s struggles @ d⏰, leaving no doubt in my🧠Will &Kate care nothing 4 Harry’s🇺🇸family. We learned later d✈️was empty except 4 William, Kate & their kids. It was a set up to make H&M look bad. My God! pic.twitter.com/dz0eIoQd8a
— Queens R. Made (@QueenRMade1) September 19, 2024
The previous year, Kate and Meghan had greeted each other warmly with a peck on the cheek. In the book “Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors,” royal author Tom Bower described a “monumental argument” that occurred after palace officials decided to publicly humiliate Harry and Meghan.
Bower wrote that on 9th March, a significant argument erupted after Harry was informed that he and Meghan couldn’t join the royal family’s procession through Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day Service. Although the order of service initially listed them walking behind the Queen, palace officials revised this. Suspicious of the Sussexes, they aimed to publicly humiliate them.
Harry and Meghan were told they would sit and wait with the congregation, which appalled them due to the potential televised image of their isolation. Bower suggested that William did not offer a brotherly welcome to Harry, and Kate was distant towards Meghan. Eventually, William and Kate agreed to wait with Harry and Meghan to resolve the dispute, but the strained relationships were evident as the Royal Family filed into the Abbey.
What Other Media Are Saying
- Mirror reports Kate Middleton defused tension at 2020 Commonwealth Day service with a last-minute gesture of kindness to an emotional Meghan Markle, but the peace offering failed to quell existing tensions. (Read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What gesture did Kate Middleton and Prince William make during Meghan and Harry’s final royal engagement?
They reportedly offered to join Harry and Meghan as they waited for the Queen to arrive.
Why were Meghan and Harry upset during the 2020 Commonwealth Day service?
They were not allowed to join the senior royals in the main VIP party and had to make their way separately.
What was the reason behind the tension during the Commonwealth Day service?
Palace officials decided to revise the order of service, publicly humiliating Harry and Meghan.
Did the peace offering from Kate and William improve relations with Harry and Meghan?
No, despite the gesture, things remained cold and the frayed relationships were evident.
What did royal author Tom Bower claim about the event?
He claimed there was a ‘monumental argument’ and that palace officials aimed to publicly humiliate Harry and Meghan.
