Meghan Markle.Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Meghan Markleattended a number of staples on the royal calendar, fromTrooping the Colourto theirannual Christmas walk, but the Duchess of Sussex never joined the royal family for their Easter church outing.
Easter fell on April 21 in 2019, and Meghan missed the church outing as she was pregnant with the couple’s first child (their son,Prince Archie, would arrive just weeks later on May 6). However,Prince Harrystepped out solo for the event — after all, it was just a short trip to St. George’s Chapel from Harry and Meghan’s U.K. home ofFrogmore Cottage, where they were living at the time.
Royal Family at Easter 2019.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Meghan, 42, and Prince Harry, 39, announced in early 2020 that they intended tostep back as senior members of the royal familyand laterrelocated to her home state of Californiain March. However, the royal family did not gather for Easter that year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Queen ElizabethandPrince Philipspent the holiday at Windsor Castle, with the late monarchsending a messageto mark Easter.
In 2021, the royal family canceled their usual Easter outing again due to COVID-19 pandemic precautions. Instead, the palace released photos ofQueen Elizabethand then-Prince Charleson the grounds of Frogmore Houseto “mark the Easter weekend.”
The royal family returned to their Easter church outing in 2022, withPrince GeorgeandPrincess Charlottemaking their debut at the event alongside their parents. Queen Elizabethmissed the service, but a source told PEOPLE that she often worshipped online if she couldn’t go in person in the last years of her life.
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Meghan memorably accompanied Prince Harry to the royal family’s Christmas celebrations in 2017 after they announced their engagement. Her appearance was a departure from typical royal protocol, asunmarried partners of royals had previously not been invited to Sandringhamfor the big day. (As Prince William’s fiancée back in 2010, Kate did not attend Christmas services with him.)
In the Netflix docuseriesHarry & Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex recalled the first time she spent the holidays withPrince Harry’s family.
“I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham,” she said. “Calling my mom, and she’s like, ‘How’s it going?’ And I said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s amazing.’ "
“It’s just like a big family like I always wanted,” Meghan added. “And there was just this constant movement and energy and fun.”
Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Christmas 2017.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
source: people.com
