Meghan Markle 'sent hidden message' with outfit during tense final royal outing
During their final ever royal engagement, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry carried out their duties in tough cirumstances.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex came together with the rest of the Royal Family come together to celebrate the Commonwealth and to honour the late Queen.
It would be the last time we would see them as working royals, and the pair did not attend this year's ceremony, which was the first for new monarch King Charles.
The theme for 2023 was Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future, which comes at a time of great upheaval in The Firm after Harry's revelations in memoir Spare and the Sussexes being forced to leave Frogmore Cottage.
The annual ceremony is one of the rare occasions where all senior royals join together for a grand service at Westminster Abbey - and there was a lot of tension in the air back in 2020.
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(PA)Just weeks before the big event, Harry and Meghan made the bombshell announcement they would be quitting as senior royals and leaving the UK.
Meghan memorably wore a vibrant green Emilia Wickstead cape dress for the service, that started blowing in the wind as she left the Abbey.
According to Christine Ross, the editor of the blog Meghan's Mirror, the Duchess of Sussex used the dress to send a secret but powerful message.
She believes that it was a clear signal to the designer and to the people who claimed the two women had a "complicated" relationship.
Speaking previously on the Mirror's royal podcast Pod Save the Queen, she said: "One of the most iconic looks is going to be her green Emilia Wickstead cape dress.
"That cape blowing in the wind as she walked into the church and then walked out of the church, which was such an emotional moment for so many people as it was their last formal engagement as royals.
"That green dress will stand out in history books I think."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 (UK Press via Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan had their final royal outing (Getty Images)Christine then went on to explain the "complicated story" between Meghan and Wickstead, which came from an interview the designer did with a magazine.
She said that Wickstead described Meghan's wedding dress as "simple", and taken out of context in other reports left many believing she was criticising the dress.
"It was a pull quote from a larger interview, she really didn't say anything negative," she explained.
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"People thought Emilia Wickstead had really wronged Meghan, and it turned out that Emilia Wickstead hadn't wrong Meghan, it was a pull quote.
"Maybe a month or so later Meghan actually wore a custom Emilia Wickstead dress, and that situation shows the power of Meghan's fashion choices.
"She was able to say with this fashion choice, Emilia Wickstead and I are great. We're on great terms, that whole thing was a huge misunderstanding and look at the lovely dress she designed for me."
There was tension on the day (Getty Images)There was drama on the day, as it was reported that Meghan and Harry were "quite sensitive and emotional" about not entering the Abbey with the main party.
This reportedly led to William and Kate not walking in the procession in an attempt to resolve the issue - despite the orders of service stating otherwise.
In their Netflix series, Harry admitted he felt nervous about meeting some family members for the first time since announcing he was quitting The Firm.
"The first time that we saw the other members of the family was in Westminster Abbey," explained Harry.
"We were nervous seeing the family because all the TV cameras and everybody watching at home and everybody watching in the audience. It's like living through a soap opera where everybody else views you as entertainment.
"I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like. And it looked cold. But it also felt cold."
Harry and Meghan were seen sharing a joke and a laugh with Prince Edward while sat in their seats, but didn't seem to speak to many other royals.
Camilla battles the wind as she enters the Abbey (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)There was less tension at this year's event, but Queen Camilla did leave people in stitches over her hasty entrance into the Abbey.
King Charles and his Queen Consort were treated to a traditional Māori greeting by the Ngāti Rānana London Māori Club as they made their way inside the cathedral.
While Charles paused to show his appreciation for the greeting, a smiling Camilla appeared to be in a hurry to get inside.
She only paused briefly, clutching her hat in the blustery wind, with fans suggesting the weather was the reason for her quick entrance.
Discussing the moment, one Twitter user asked: "I wonder why Camilla shot into the Cathedral rather than stand with Charles to watch the Maori greeting."
A second wrote: "Hahah! Camilla just leaves Charles in the wind." But another thought: "Camilla rushed in ahead, apparently fearful that her hat would blow off in the wind."
Another suggested: "Or it was too cold for someone who was just coming off of a illness a few weeks ago. She stood by the door waiting for the king."
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