Before they officially bowed out as working royals, Prince Harry made a snide comment to Meghan Markle about his brother and sister-in-law, according to a lip reader.
As the royals marked Commonwealth Day with a service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020, there were several signs of frostiness between Prince William and Harry – but none more clear than the snarky comment a lip reader was able to make out.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex perched on the pews for what would be their final public appearance as senior working royals, William and Catherine, the then Duchess of Cambridge, took their own seats nearby.
Barely a word was exchanged between the couples as William and Catherine busied themselves with greeting Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, instead.
Finally turning to acknowledge his brother, all royal fans could make out was a curt ‘Hello Harry’ from William, to which the younger prince replied: ‘Hello’.
With a smile on her face, Meghan was seen saying ‘hi’ to her sister-in-law Catherine before offering a gentle smile and a ‘hello’ to William, who didn’t appear to see her the first time.
Analysing the awkward interaction, lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Daily Star that Harry turned to his wife and said: ‘At least they acknowledged, unlike last time’.
Meanwhile William’s response could not have been more different. He looked relieved as he took his place in the front row and whispered to his wife: ‘That was executed well.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge greet Prince Edward, Meghan and Harry as they take their seats before the ceremony
Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, lean forward to speak to William and Catherine as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex watch on
Continuing to confide in Catherine, the future King said: ‘It’s quite good to connect instead of holding things back like always.
‘I know it’s bad, I ought to have words with him. He’ll shout and God knows what but things’ll change, won’t it?’
Later that month, Harry would officially leave the royal family and move to Los Angeles, after citing he and William were ‘on different paths’ and that their brotherly bond had ‘good days and bad days’.
Writing in his book Battle of the Brothers, royal expert Robert Lacey revealed that Prince William had attempted to extend ‘a small but sensitive gesture of peace’ to Prince Harry at his last public outing, despite the otherwise icy exchange.
According to the author, Harry was told he and Meghan would not be allowed to take part in ‘The Procession of The Queen’ at the Commonwealth Day Service – as they had done the year prior.
Instead, only Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge were set to take part – a snub which was printed in the Order of Service for all 2,000 members of the congregation to see.
‘Harry and Meghan were not included in this senior royal group,’ Mr Lacey wrote.
‘As “junior” royals they would have to shuffle their way to their seats that afternoon like any other member of the congregation and take their places on the sidelines alongside their fellow “juniors”, Edward and Sophie Wessex.’
The Cambridges were meant to walk in behind the Queen and Prince Charles but there was a ‘last minute change’ as William extended an olive branch to his brother Harry who was left out of the procession
From left to right: The Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. All five were senior royals and meant to process behind the Commonwealth flag
Members of the royal family leave Westminster Abbey after attending the Commonwealth Day Service. Harry was reportedly ‘holding back tears’ throughout
The prince was reportedly ‘furious’ at being ‘shunted aside on this final appearance’.
Fearing another highly public royal skirmish, William and Catherine stepped in to defuse the situation and offered to join ‘emotional’ Harry and Meghan as they waited in their seats for the Queen, Charles and Camilla to arrive.
‘It was a small but sensitive gesture of peace,’ Mr Lacey wrote.
‘Within minutes of each other, the two princes and their wives slipped quietly into their seats, and both couples then sat waiting with everyone else for the Queen and Prince Charles to process in senior splendour down the aisle to open the ceremony’.
But it seems this eleventh-hour olive branch was still not enough to ease the ill-feeling between the feuding family – in what body language expert Judi James described as ‘not exactly the warm reunion we were hoping for’.
‘The tension in Harry’s body language especially was palpable,’ Ms James said. ‘When Harry arrived, the minute he and Meghan had to drop hands, he immediately reached for his wedding ring which is a self-comfort.
‘Even when she was beside him after they had stopped holding hands, he was missing her, needing her support.
‘As Harry walked up the aisle to his seat, they both waved at the children, but his face otherwise was quite tense and unsmiling.’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at Westminster Abbey for their final public appearance on March 9, 2020
Princess Catherine and Prince William arrive for the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave after attending the Commonwealth Day Service
Catherine shakes the hand of a young wellwisher before she departs with her husband William
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave Westminster Abbey. They had already announced their plans to step down as working royals
Meghan accepts flowers from a young wellwisher before she departs with her husband Harry
Throughout the service, Meghan sported a Suits TV-style smile.
‘Big smiles!’ had been her whispered instruction to her husband as they took their seats.
But after the ceremony when Catherine and William drove away, Ms James said we saw a ‘different Harry altogether’.
‘With the other royals gone Harry and Meghan became an animated, tactile double-act again, with Harry chatting to Craig David as though he was an old friend and Meghan even leaning forward to touch Anthony Joshua on the arm to congratulate him for his speech,’ she claimed.
‘Harry suddenly looked like a man reluctant to leave a party, throwing a thumbs-up gesture to Joshua over his shoulder while Meghan touched Harry’s arm in what looked like a gesture of affection and steering.
‘Laughing and joking with the people outside, Harry’s relief looked so tangible that his sudden eyes to heaven and raised hands looked awfully like a signal of thanks.
‘He became animated and far more relaxed and holding Meghan’s hand again.
‘He looked like a man who felt he’s got the most difficult moments over and who could now return to being “Just Harry” again with his wife and son.’
