Resurfaced Clip Shows Harry Stepping in as Meghan Breaks Royal Protocol With William and Kate

A resurfaced video shows Meghan Markle breaking royal protocol with William and Kate at Queen's funeral, forcing Harry to awkwardly diffuse the situation.

Exiled royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK for the funeral ceremony of the late Queen Elizabeth. The Sussexes were also interestingly invited by Prince William and Kate Middleton on September 10 for a walkabout in honor of the Queen. A resurfaced video of the same, however, showed Markle breaking royal protocol yet again and walking ahead of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Harry, who lived his entire life dictated by royal etiquette, knew he had to step in. Realizing that all eyes would be on them given their return, Harry subtly held Markle's arms, slowing her down, and ensuring she didn't walk ahead of the senior royals.

To slow Markle down further and let William and Middleton take the lead, Harry cleverly also paused to view the flowers and heartfelt messages left by well-wishers for the late Queen. Royal etiquette dictates that when the royal family is in a procession, they must walk in order of precedence. This meant that Harry and Markle, as junior royals, were expected to walk behind William and Middleton. Realizing also that Markle was perhaps feeling uneasy given their strained history with the Waleses, Harry held on to his wife's hands throughout— in a break away from royal protocol that dictates no public displays of affection at official events.

LOOK: Princes William and Harry together with their wives, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gathered to meet well-wishers on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle, September 10, days after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. (Kirsty O'Connor, AFP/ Pool) pic.twitter.com/4DTcdNG2cc

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 11, 2022

As the footage of the awkward walk went viral, a body language expert decoded the ‘Fab Four.’ As reported by the Daily Mail, Katia Loisal said, “On numerous occasions, Meghan looked over at Kate, however, the gaze wasn't reciprocated.” Body language expert Judi James also told The Sun, “When the couple clasps hands, it is Harry's fingers wiggling downward while Meghan's are curled around his palm, with her thumb gently stroking his hand. She performs touches on his back and small strokes and other tie-signs, and there are some moments when she is the one looking across for communication with William and Kate.”

James added, “Both Meghan and Kate sucked their lips in rather than smiling at each other and each other’s husbands.” The British media also widely reported that the walkabout was ‘the hardest thing Kate’s ever had to do.’ The tense exchange came amidst reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex weren’t originally invited to the event. As reported by The Mirror, royal author Omid Scobie in his book Endgame, revealed that William was told to “swallow his pride and invite his brother and sister-in-law to join them when they greeted mourners and well-wishers in Windsor that day.”

A source who spoke to Scobie for the book claimed that the King pressured William to invite his brother for the walkabout. Scobie explained, “With around forty minutes left before he planned to step out on Windsor Castle’s Long Walk with Kate, William sent his first text message in months to Harry, suggesting it would be 'good' if they came along, too.” These claims were echoed by Sky News' Maddie Hale, who reported Markle 'broke protocol' by having her US PR team arrange a separate walkabout. This allegedly forced King Charles to intervene and urge his sons to reunite publicly, as the news coverage had already been more about the Sussexes' movements in the UK rather than the death of the Queen.