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It was a big day for royal watchers. After four months of waiting - and amidst reports of a rift between brothers Prince Harry and Prince William and their royal spouses Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton - the Cambridges and the Sussexes appeared together to mark Britain’s Remembrance Day celebrations. Royal fans hadn’t seen the fab four together in public since baby Archie’s baptism, but any hopes of seeing the quartet interacting were dashed. Both couples sat apart in the royal box during the Festival of Remembrance, a concert organised by the Royal British Legion at the Royal Albert Hall in London to commemorate all those who have lost their lives in conflicts.
The reason behind the seating arrangements is simple - and nothing to do with any speculated rift between the brothers. According to royal protocol, the family members are seated in order of precedence. Queen Elizabeth, of course, always takes the centre position at events such as this, and she was sat in the front row with heir to the throne Prince Charles and wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall to his left, and second-in-line Prince William and Kate to her right.
Prince Harry, sixth-in-line to the throne, sat with his wife Meghan Markle on the second row with Prince Anne and Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex.
Again, the following day, during the Remembrance Sunday service at Whitehall, London, the same rules applied. Kate Middleton shared the balcony with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles’ wife Camilla. In previous years, Prince Philip joined the event, but in his absence - he retired from his official duties in 2017 - Kate took his place.
Meghan, in the meantime, was on the same balcony with the Countess of Wessex.
The focus is firmly on the relationship between the Sussexes and the Cambridges after a documentary on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to Africa was recently released. The Duke of Sussex expressed his love for his brother William, although he said they are “on different paths,” and have “good days and bad days.”