Prince Harry’s final months as a working royal have often been under scrutiny in books, documentaries, and interviews. Now, a royal biography is revisiting one particularly tense moment that reportedly unfolded during a major royal event in 2020. According to the author, the Duke of Sussex appeared deeply affected by what he and Meghan Markle allegedly perceived as a “snub” during the ceremony.
The moment reportedly occurred during the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2020. The event marked Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s final official appearance as working royals before stepping back from royal duties.
Being ‘snubbed’ at Royal event left Prince Harry nearly crying before exit, claims book
Commonwealth Day is traditionally one of the most prominent fixtures on the royal calendar. The 2020 event came weeks after the Sussexes announced they would quit royal duties.
According to royal historian Robert Lacey’s book “Battle of Brothers,” tensions were already running high ahead of the service. As reported in the book, Harry and Meghan were said to have felt upset after discovering they were not included in the formal royal procession entering Westminster Abbey.
Roughly 2,000 printed programs for the ceremony reportedly indicated that Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, would walk into the abbey alongside the senior royal party. However, that hat section of the service plan did not feature Harry and Meghan’s names. In a report by Mirror UK, as per Lacey’s account, the couple allegedly viewed this as a “snub.”
Reports at the time suggested the situation became sensitive behind the scenes. In an apparent attempt to ease tensions, William and Catherine ultimately did not participate in the procession as originally outlined in the program.
Lacey writes that while Meghan appeared composed during the ceremony, Harry looked noticeably uncomfortable. Observers cited in the book reportedly described the duke as looking “tense and unsmiling” throughout the service. One account quoted by the author claimed Harry’s rapid blinking suggested he might have been “fighting back tears.”
Harry later reflected on the emotional atmosphere surrounding the event during the 2022 Netflix docuseries he filmed with Meghan. Speaking about seeing his family members again after their decision to leave became public, he said the experience was difficult.
“The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in Westminster Abbey,” Harry said in the series. He added, “I felt really distant from the rest of my family… It looked cold. But it also felt cold.”
Originally reported by Zahrah Patel on Reality Tea.
