Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, was noticeably not in the same place as Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, during the solemn Remembrance Day service. Her separation from the senior royals was not an insult against her despite what other royal watchers might conclude.
The Queen, Camilla and Kate were standing together at the balcony window to watch the laying of the wreath in the grounds. They were there as a matter of seniority as the monarch and the future queens.
According to People, official events like these rely on the royal family arranging themselves in the "pecking order" as dictated by protocol. However, the said balcony was too small to fit more than three people. So, it was not possible for Meghan and the rest of the royal women to be standing next to the Queen.
The Duchess of Sussex, however, was still in a prominent place since she was standing beside the Queen's daughter-in-law, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and wife of Prince Edward, and son-in-law, Sir Timothy Laurence, the husband of Princess Anne. Last year, Meghan was not with any royal family members at all as she observed the Remembrance Day service with Elke Budenbender, the wife of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Royal fans expecting to see Meghan and Kate together with their husbands Prince Harry and Prince William were disappointed when the reunion at this official event didn't happen. Before this service, the four royals were also at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall but they sat apart from each other and didn't get to be photographed or seen together.
Prince William and Kate came in ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan as a matter of following the pecking order once again. They also sat next to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Camilla, while Prince Harry and Meghan were at the back row and to the right of the Cambridges.
Despite these official arrangements, some royal fans still think that the separation is a sign of the senior royals distancing themselves from Prince Harry and Meghan. It follows as Prince Harry confirmed in a documentary that he and his brother no longer hang out together as much as before since they are on different paths. It also comes as Meghan admitted she is struggling amid the media scrutiny of their life as royals.
