Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a discreet appearance at Trooping the Color 2022 parade on Thursday as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s four-day platinum jubilee celebration in London.
The Sots alum, 40, stunned in an off-the-shoulder navy dress with an oversized sun hat as the Duke of Sussex, 37, joined them in the brigade’s office at Buckingham Palace.
The couple appeared to arrive in a low-key fashion but were later spotted chatting with other members of the royal family, including the Queen’s cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.
Markle was also seen hanging out with some of the younger family members. She was photographed laughing with the granddaughters of Queen Savannah Phillips, 11, Isla Phillips, 10, Mia Tindall, 8 and Lena Tindall, 3.
Meanwhile, the Queen, 96, and senior royals including Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton waved to spectators from the palace balcony.
Markle and Harry were not invited to the photoshoot, as they are no longer members of the royal family.
“After careful consideration, the Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Trooping the Color balcony appearance on Thursday, 2 June, will be restricted to Her Majesty, members of the Royal Family who are currently performing official public functions on behalf of the Queen,” Buckingham Palace previously said in a statement.
Trooping the Color is the official celebration of the Queen’s birthday that includes a parade of over 1,000 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians each year.
Established during the reign of King Charles II in 1748, the birthday of the British sovereign has been celebrated annually in June for more than 260 years.
And it’s not the only birthday celebration of the Queen, who also acknowledges the day she was actually born, April 21.
Page Six reported in May that Harry, Markle and their children, Archie, 3, and Lillibet, 11 months, were expected to attend the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebration, the second time the couple had returned to see the Duke of Sussex’s grandmother since then. Resigning their royal duties and moving to California in early 2020.
The duo are also expected to celebrate the birthday of their daughter Lillipet I on Saturday with the Queen. This visit will be the first time the king will be able to meet her granddaughter, who is named after her.
The Sussex family last visited the Queen in April, where they made a secret stop in the UK as they headed to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games, the first time they had returned to Harry’s home country together since Megxit.
While in town at the time, they also met Harry’s father, Charles, 73, and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, although they did not meet William, 39, or Middleton, 40, amid Harry’s strained relationship with the Duke of Cambridge.
Harry, who has spoken out against the UK government for not providing enough security for his family, also returned to his Don Markle home to attend a memorial to his late mother, Princess Diana, in July 2021 and the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip in April.