If you followed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s return to the U.K. after their exit for Commonwealth Day back in March 2020, then you know things looked very awkward. Well, Prince Harry confirmed in the second part of Netflix‘s Harry & Meghan that they did not receive a warm welcome.
The Duke of Sussex revealed that they were “nervous” about “seeing the family,” especially since it was being broadcast on TV for all of the world to see. “It’s like living through a soap opera, where everybody else views you as entertainment,” he noted in the series. He also sadly mentioned how “really distant” he felt from his immediate family at that moment.
“Which was interesting, because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like,” Harry added. “And it looked cold. But it also felt cold.” The couple sat in Westminster Abbey in the row behind Queen Elizabeth II, then-Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton. The chill in the room could be felt all the way across the pond.
It was an emotional day for the Meghan and Harry, who immediately left to go to the airport after the service and return to Canada, where they were temporarily living. “We get on the plane. And it’s not the pilot — but whoever is sort of overseeing the crew — and he came, and he knelt next to my seat, and he took his hat off,” the Duchess of Sussex shared. “I just remember looking at him, and he goes, ‘We appreciate everything you did for our country.’”
It was one of the only times someone acknowledged what the couple had been through. Meghan added, “It was the first time that I felt like someone saw the sacrifice. Not for my own country. For this country, that’s not mine.” So, those Commonwealth Day images hold even greater weight knowing how challenging that time was for the duo — the royal family had a rulebook and when it’s not followed, you are iced out.
Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.
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