Why Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Were Distant During Appearance

Although the rumored rift between Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is reportedly on better terms, the couples appeared to be distant while attending Trooping the Colour on Saturday.

The celebration, which honors Queen Elizabeth’s birthday, marked Meghan and Harry’s first joint appearance since the Duchess of Sussex gave birth to Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Although several members of the royal family appeared on the palace balcony for the occasion, the new parents appeared in a remote area compared to Kate and William’s position at the front.

The managing editor of Majesty magazine, Joe Little told People, Meghan and Prince Harry were strategically positioned away from William and Kate. “She was not as prominent perhaps as some people might have expected, but there’s a pecking order,” he explained.

This year, the focus was reportedly on the children’s reaction. Due to the “pecking order,” Meghan and Harry were not required to be in the spotlight for the occasion. “There was no slight intended, but William being the older, more senior brother would go out [first] with his wife,” Little added.

Although the couples didn’t appear united on the balcony, Meghan and Harry arrived at the celebration in a carriage with Kate and Camilla Parker Bowles.

While Meghan and Harry appeared to be in great spirits in front of the cameras, they reportedly upset several media outlets by hiding details about the birth of the royal baby. Royal correspondent Chris Ship previously told ITV’s “The Royal Rota,” Harry tried to control information shared with the media following Archie’s birth.

“My understanding is because Harry wanted to be the person to announce it, therefore, he didn’t want it to get out in an email. He wanted to do the announcement in front of you, he wanted to say, ‘I’ve had a son.’ That’s the way he wanted to do it,” Ship explained.

Buckingham Palace announced Archie’s birth on May 6 around 2 p.m. local time, however, the newborn was born at 5:26 a.m.

While Meghan and Harry are reportedly mending their bond with Kate and William, they may need to consider working on their relationship with the press.