As the Royal Family gathered in London for King Charles III’s 75th official birthday celebration at Trooping the Colour, memories of Meghan Markle’s 2018 debut at the same event have resurfaced, highlighting both the excitement and tensions that have defined her royal journey.
In June 2018, Meghan made her first appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony just days after returning from her honeymoon with Prince Harry. Though the Duchess of Sussex appeared calm, a lipreader later revealed she had quietly confided to Harry that she was feeling “nervous.” The prince, ever supportive, reassured her with a soft smile, saying, “When you get into it, I’ll tell you more later. Then there’s the flypast and then we all look up to the sky.”
Behind the composed smiles, however, subtle awkwardness was also brewing. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalls a moment when Princess Kate asked Meghan what she thought of the event. Meghan, attempting humour, reportedly replied, “Colourful,” a remark that, according to Harry, was met with a “yawning silence.”
Adding to the scrutiny, Meghan’s choice of attire, a blush pink, off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress paired with a Philip Treacy hat, broke with royal fashion protocol, stirring media commentary for deviating from the more traditional and conservative dress code usually expected at royal ceremonies.
While Trooping the Colour is a fixture of the royal calendar, with roots dating back to 1760, it has become a symbol of deeper divides within the family. This year, Prince Harry and Meghan—now living in California—were notably absent, continuing their separation from royal duties and ceremonial appearances.
In a recent BBC interview, Harry confirmed he was not in contact with his father and revealed he would not be bringing Meghan or their children to the UK, further fueling speculation over both his strained relationship with the King and concerns over the monarch’s health, especially as Charles continues cancer treatment.