Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for last royal duty

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took their seats at Westminster Abbey this afternoon for the Commonwealth Service to carry out their last public royal duty before they walk away from the monarchy.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walked in ahead of Prince William and Kate Middleton – the first public meeting of the two brothers and their wives since Megxit was announced two months ago – before Prince Charles and Camilla also arrived and the Queen then made an entrance to trumpet fanfare and cheers from crowds outside. 

Unlike last year, Harry and Meghan were conducted to their seats at the church in London, rather than waiting for the Queen’s arrival and walking through with the monarch and key royals as they did in March 2019.

Other arrivals included Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his pregnant fiancée Carrie Symonds, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and her daughter Bluebell, 13, and singers Alexandra Burke and Craig David, who are both performing.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez also arrived, along with Home Secretary Priti Patel, Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg and US Ambassador Woody Johnson, who gave another guest an elbow bump in the wake of the coronavirus.

It also emerged today that last-minute changes were made to the royal arrangements, meaning Prince William and Kate, who were due to join the Queen in the procession, were also conducted to their places. 

A source said the amendments were made yesterday, despite the Order of Service already having been signed off and printed. Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have not commented on why the switch has been made.

The Sussexes this year arrived after the Earl and Countess of Wessex, who were the first senior royals to walk in and were also escorted to their seats. The move signifies their impending exit from The Firm – dubbed Megxit.

From March 31, the monarch’s grandson and American former actress Meghan will no longer use their HRH styles as they pursue a new life of personal and financial freedom, mostly in North America. 

The procession included Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, clergy, Mr Johnson and the Commonwealth Secretary General, among others. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex looked relaxed as they arrived at the Abbey to take their place in the congregation for the event.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived soon after Meghan and Harry and like the Sussexes were introduced to a group of dignitaries before being shown to their seats.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived at the Abbey ahead of the Queen who – as head of state – is always the final member of the congregation to arrive.

Meghan was seen to mouth ‘hi’ and give a small wave to William and Kate, followed by a ‘hello’, as the Cambridges took their seat in the High Altar in the row in front of the Sussexes.

Harry also said ‘hello’ and smiled at his brother. Edward partly rose to greet the Cambridges, but Sophie and the Sussexes remained seated.

Meghan later chatted animatedly to Edward as they waited for the Queen to arrive, with Harry joining in the conversation and putting his arm on the back of Meghan’s chair as he did so.

As the members of the royal family arrived they were introduced to a line of dignitaries, including Boris Johnson, but no-one shook hands as they greeted each other.

It is understood the Queen and other senior royals were following the protocol the Abbey has been operating under during the past few days due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Meghan was in a green Emilia Wickstead dress with asymmetrical cape and hat by William Chambers. Kate was in red, wearing a coat by Catherine Walker and a hat by Sally-Ann Provan.

The Queen wore a Stewart Parvin delicate air force blue cashmere double breasted A-line coat, with a silk faille printed shift dress in shades of ‘air force blue, black and burnt orange’.

Camilla wore a navy silk and lace dress and coat by Bruce Oldfield and a navy feathered hat by Philip Treacy, while Sophie was in a white and navy Suzannah dress and navy Jane Taylor hat.

As the royal procession of clergy, the PM, the Queen, Charles and Camilla made its way to the altar, Kate and Sophie curtsied in sync to the Queen, while Meghan followed later with a deep curtsy for the monarch, and another for the Prince of Wales.

World heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua spoke eloquently about his Nigerian and British heritage and how his background reflected many in the Commonwealth.

He told the congregation: ‘Like me, so many children of the Commonwealth have two homes and two identities, two cultures and two ways of viewing the world. Some have more than two.

‘These days we hear so much about division and difference that some might be tempted to see that as a bad thing. But on the contrary, it’s a beautiful thing, a thing to be celebrated and cherish, and a great source of peace and stability.

‘In this world of extreme connectivity, who better to connect us and shape our common future than the children of the Commonwealth, who have a foot in two camps and desperately want to see both sides succeed.’

Meghan and Harry’s baby son Archie is the first mixed-race child to be born into the royal family in centuries and has been seen as a reflection of modern multi-cultural Britain.

Meghan smiled and nodded along slightly to Alexandra Burke’s rendition of Ain’t No Mountain.

Last year, Harry and Meghan waited alongside William, Kate, Charles and Camilla for the Queen to arrive, before taking part in ‘The Procession of The Queen’. 

Phil Dampier, author of Royally Suited Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words, told MailOnline: ‘It’s very significant that Harry and Meghan aren’t in the procession but will just go to their seats. 

‘It emphasises that they are no longer working royals but they are still part of the family. 

‘The Queen has made it clear that they can’t be half in and half out of royal duties.  It’s very poignant and sad for her because she wanted Harry and Meghan to do fantastic things for the Commonwealth.  

‘She wanted them to be her special ambassadors on royal trips throughout the Commonwealth which she can no longer do because of her age.

‘The Commonwealth has been one of her greatest achievements and she will want it to succeed long after her death. Harry and Meghan had a wonderful future with it but have thrown it all away in my opinion.’

Royal biographer Penny Junor said of today’s service: ‘It will be fascinating to see how it plays out. I imagine everybody will be on absolutely best behaviour. But goodness knows what they will all be thinking privately.’

Aides have said the couple, who are retaining Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, will be in the UK regularly. 

But this final official appearance is a poignant milestone as they prepare to embark on their future away from the royal family.

On March 31, Meghan will bow out of royal life just one year, 10 months and 12 days – or 682 days – after marrying into the family. She spent almost five years longer appearing on screen in the US drama Suits.

The duchess, then Meghan Markle, starred as paralegal Rachel Zane between June 23 2011 and April 25 2018, totalling six years, 10 months and three days, or 2,499 days.

The televised service at the abbey is a key annual event in the calendar for the Queen who is head of the Commonwealth. But this year’s ceremony is likely to be remembered for being Harry and Meghan’s royal swansong.

Their goodbye tour – a flurry of appearances in the UK – has including the Endeavour Fund Awards, a military musical festival at the Royal Albert Hall and Meghan’s secret visit to a school in Dagenham, East London, to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The Commonwealth Service will also be the first time the duke and duchess have appeared with the royal family since their bombshell ‘Megxit’ announcement in January.

Tradition dictates that Harry, who is not a future king, sits with Meghan in the second row of seats behind the Queen, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate during the service.

The duke and duchess were pictured standing alongside William and Kate in the gothic abbey last year when Meghan was pregnant with Archie. All eyes will be on how the couples interact at this year’s ceremony.

William and Harry have faced a turbulent time following a rift that began ahead of Harry’s wedding to Meghan.

Harry said in an ITV documentary filmed during his Africa tour that he and his brother are on ‘different paths’ and have good and bad days in their relationship.

The Duke of York was at the service in 2019, accompanying the Queen as she arrived.

But he will be absent this year, having stepped down from public life following his disastrous Newsnight appearance over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Harry and Meghan last appeared alongside the royals four months ago on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in November.

Coverage of the service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 2.15pm, and across the BBC World Service.

The Queen in her Commonwealth Day message has praised the diversity of the family of nations whose blend of traditions ‘serves to make us stronger’.

In her annual message, the head of state highlighted how global connectivity makes people aware their ‘choices and actions’ can affect the ‘well-being of people and communities living far away’ – and inspires many to be more careful with natural resources.

International boxing champion and Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua will deliver a reflection, while singers Alexandra Burke and Craig David will perform.

Ahead of their wedding, Harry and Meghan highlighted the Commonwealth as a priority for their royal duties.

Harry said: ‘Both of us have passions for wanting to make change, change for good, and with lots of young people running around the Commonwealth, that’s where we’re going to spend most of our time hopefully.’

Stepping down as a working royal means Harry must leave his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. But he will remain president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and Meghan will still be the Trust’s vice-president.

Yesterday, the Duchess of Sussex met the Queen for the first time since she and Harry announced they are to quit as senior royals.

Meghan and Harry attended a church service in Windsor with Her Majesty as they prepare to leave the royal household in a little over three weeks.   

He smiled and appeared relaxed as he drove Meghan to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park.

It was the first time that the duchess has seen the Queen since the couple dramatically announced on January 6 that they would be retiring from public life.

While Harry has sat down with the Queen on several occasions since, Meghan has stayed in Canada with their son Archie. But any hopes that she may have had of seeing her great-grandson were dashed because Archie remains on Vancouver Island.

On Saturday night, Harry appeared close to tears as he received a long round of applause during his final engagement as Captain General of the Royal Marines.

In a red ceremonial uniform, he seemed to bite his lip when he and Meghan received a standing ovation as they took their seats in the royal box at the Royal Albert Hall.

The couple were attending the Mountbatten Festival of Music, marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the formation of Britain’s commandos.

The Sussexes are expected to return to Canada next week, and their new life away from royal duties will officially start on April 1. Harry will remain sixth in line to the throne, despite stepping down as a senior royal.

Meanwhile the 16-year-old schoolboy who got a hug from the Duchess of Sussex after telling a delighted audience ‘she’s really beautiful innit? said he was was ‘really embarrassed’ when he realised his cheeky comment had been recorded.

Meghan then told Aker Okoye he was ‘very brave’ and his comments were ‘very well said,’ he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain today.

The teenager, who has penned a handwritten note of apology to the Duke of Sussex for cuddling his wife, joked: ‘I did not want to cause any more controversy.’

He wrote the note after he was pictured hugging Meghan on stage at Robert Clack School in Dagenham on Friday.

Aker Okoye described Meghan as ‘really humble and down to earth’.

Saying he had been ‘flabbergasted’ by the situation, he told Good Morning Britain: ‘It was one of those moments I will cherish for the rest of my life – to see that she is more than a pretty face and that she is actually an amazing person who is strong, committed and inspirational.’

On what it meant as a black teenager to see the first person of mixed heritage marry into the royal family, he told the programme: ‘I think it shows that we are present.

‘I think it goes to show that us a caucus, as a group and a race, that we are present in this country so much so that we can come in from another place.

‘I feel as if that gives us hope and gives us a little bit of drive.’

Meghan made a surprise visit to the school to deliver an International Women’s Day message to men to ‘value the women in your lives’.

In one of her last solo engagements as a working royal Meghan, who also revealed that ten-month-old Archie is trying to walk, spoke with delighted pupils and met one of the women who fought an historic equal pay battle in the nearby Ford car plant.

In a speech addressing the school’s boys in particular, she urged them to ‘continue to value and appreciate the women in your lives and also set the example for some men who are not seeing it that same way.

‘You have your mothers, sisters, girlfriends, friends in your life, protect them.

‘Make sure that they are feeling valued and safe and let’s all just rally together to make International Women’s Day something that is not just on Sunday, but frankly feels like every day of the year.’

Later, the Duchess of Cambridge will host a gala dinner at Buckingham Palace to mark the 25th anniversary of youth mental health charity Place2Be.

The duchess has been a patron of the charity – which aims to provide emotional support to young children and works in 639 schools across the UK – since 2013.

Founded in 1994 by Dame Benny Refson, it has worked with more than 250,0000 children and families over the past 25 years.

Kate is due to meet two school choirs who will also perform, as well as many of Place2Be’s supporters, before giving a speech.

She has been a vocal advocate for children’s mental health since becoming a member of the royal family, as well as for adults’ addiction support and mental health services.

In January, Kate launched the ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’ survey aimed at starting a national conversation on early childhood. The Place2Be gala is due to commence at 7pm tonight.

Queen praises diversity of Commonwealth family of nations whose blend of traditions ‘serves to make us stronger’ 

The Queen has used her Commonwealth Day message to praise the diversity of the family of nations whose blend of traditions ‘serves to make us stronger’.

In her annual message, the head of state highlighted how global connectivity makes people aware their ‘choices and actions’ can affect the ‘well-being of people and communities living far away’ – and inspires many to be more careful with natural resources.

The Queen’s words will be printed in the order of service accompanying the Commonwealth Day service on Monday at Westminster Abbey, attended by the Queen and senior members of the royal family, Boris Johnson and a 2,000-strong congregation.

But the event is likely to be overshadowed by the appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending their last official event as working members of the monarchy, before they begin their new life as financially independent royals on March 31.

Harry and Meghan have been carrying out a string of final public appearances over the past few days in the wake of their decision to step back as senior royals and earn their own income.

The Queen says in her message: ‘On Commonwealth occasions, it is always inspiring to be reminded of the diversity of the people and countries that make up our worldwide family.

‘We are made aware of the many associations and influences that combine through Commonwealth connection, helping us to imagine and deliver a common future.’

The Queen goes on to say: ‘Such a blend of traditions serves to make us stronger, individually and collectively, by providing the ingredients needed for social, political and economic resilience.’

The theme for 2020 Commonwealth Day is – Delivering A Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming – and the head of state touched on this topic in her message.

She said: ‘Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to see and hear how membership of the Commonwealth family means so much to those living in all parts of the world, often in places that are quite remote.

‘Advances in technology and modern media have now enabled many more people to witness and enjoy – with remarkable immediacy – this experience of Commonwealth connection, in areas such as education, medicine and conservation.

‘Looking to the future, this connectivity means we are also aware, perhaps as never before, that wherever we live, our choices and actions affect the well-being of people and communities living far away, and in very different circumstances.’

‘For many, this awareness awakens a desire to employ our planet’s natural resources with greater care…’