London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Prince Harry and Meghan navigate a tricky return to duty

Prince Harry and Meghan navigate a tricky return to duty

Low-key was always going to be difficult to pull off when you are globally famous, members of the Royal Family, and haven't been seen in the UK together for two years after leaving in controversial circumstances.

But when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped out of the car at the Great West Door of St Paul's Cathedral they were back in the full glare of the royal spotlight.

Unsurprisingly they looked slightly nervous. They held hands tightly. Meghan straightened out the collar of her Dior coat.

They chatted to one another but you could sense their caution.

Huge crowds had gathered outside St Paul's Cathedral for Friday's Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving. Most of them dedicated supporters of the Royal Family.

Would they welcome the return of Prince Harry and Meghan?

As the couple climbed the steps, the crowds clapped and cheered. It was a warm, spontaneous response to the couple making their first appearance together at a royal engagement since 2020.

That event was the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey held that March.

Then the mood was far darker. The friction within the Royal Family was played out in front of the cameras for everyone to pick apart, with Prince William and Prince Harry barely exchanging a glance even though they were sat near each other.

The mood at the 2020 Commonwealth Service was far darker


The choreography of royal events is always careful and precise and Friday was no exception.

Prince Harry and Meghan were seated on the opposite side of the aisle to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge avoiding any awkward visuals.

They sat alongside Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank on one side. The couples are close. Eugenie and Jack with their young son had visited the Sussexes in California back in February.

On the other side of them was Lady Sarah Chatto - the daughter of Princess Margaret and the Queen's much-loved niece. A calm and comforting presence. This was a safe seating plan.

Prince Harry and Meghan sat alongside Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank on Friday


When the couple left the cathedral, there was the odd boo from the crowd but it sat amongst plenty of cheering. There was no real hostility.

Amid the pomp, ceremony, party and reflection this weekend, the Platinum Jubilee is also about family with all its flaws and tensions.

The Queen had to watch from home but she had previously made it clear that, whatever the problems and history, her grandson, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were very welcome at the Jubilee celebrations.

The first public hurdle of Harry and Meghan's brief return to royal duty has been successfully navigated.


Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at Jubilee service


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×