Meghan Markle Missed This Part Of Trooping The Colour Last Year

Meghan Markle skipped one part of the Trooping the Colour last year, according to a report.

Queen Elizabeth II will be attending the Trooping the Colour, the annual parade marking the birthday of the British monarch, without most of her family members this year. In fact, she will be having a more low-key celebration in Windsor, where she and husband Prince Philip have been holed up during the coronavirus lockdown.

Last year, many were surprised when Markle joined Prince Harry and the rest of the members of the Firm for the event. At the time, the duchess had still been on maternity leave, having just given birth to son Archie Harrison in May. But her appearance just a month post-delivery delighted royal fans.

However, Hello! magazine that Prince Harry’s wife noticeably missed one part of Trooping the Colour last year. She missed the part of the ceremony when Queen Elizabeth II returned back to the palace in her carriage.

The outlet speculated that Markle had a quick outfit change in the few minutes she was absent. When the actress-turned-duchese returned to the balcony to continue watching the parade, she had ditched her white gloves and coat. Another probable reason for her short absence was that Markle was tending to Archie.

At the time, Archie was just about 1 month old and was too young to make a public appearance. For that reason, some didn’t expect to see Markle at the event.

However, Trooping the Colour is a traditional family event, and the duchess was keen to honor the monarch. Thus, she didn’t skip it even if she had still been on a break from royal duties.

“The Duchess is still on maternity leave, but this is a family moment, with the wider members of the royal family all in attendance. The Queen’s birthday celebration is a family event,” a source told the magazine.

Markle made her first balcony appearance when she joined the Trooping the Colour in 2018 just weeks after she married Prince Harry. Markle looked gorgeous in her pink off-the-shoulder dress by Carolina Herrera. However, some criticized the royal’s outfit because they found it "inappropriate" and "revealing."

"It was deemed by some people to be a bit revealing, but personally I couldn't see any harm in it," Joe Little, Majesty managing editor, told People. "She looked great. There are no rules for the birthday parade, but I'm not sure it matters."