The Truth Behind Harry and Meghan’s ‘Strained’ 2019 Trooping The Color Balcony Moment Revealed
Royal fans and experts analyzed that the Sussexes' marriage was in deep trouble after they were caught sharing a tense moment during the event.
Trooping the Color is a traditional bow to the monarchy and a celebrated moment for the Sovereign as a benevolent ruler. However, in 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex inadvertently showcased their final appearance as working royals. A brief, tense moment between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the Buckingham Palace balcony during that year's pageantry was captured and scrutinized, prompting media narratives that interpreted it as evidence of marital discord. This moment foreshadowed their controversial exit from royal duties.
The Sussexes had welcomed Prince Archie just over a month ago, and Markle made her first post-birth royal appearance at that year's event, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II. Despite being in the public spotlight alongside Prince Harry and other senior royals, fans were particularly curious about their brief, tense conversation, which offered insight into their marriage. As per The Daily Mail, a lip reader decoded Harry's stern instruction to his wife when she turned around to speak with him not once but twice during the customary royal family balcony moment. The lip reader revealed that Prince Harry told Meghan, "Yes, that's right" when she looked towards him the first time, before adding: "Turn around... Look," when she turned back the second time. Many royal fans and experts analyzed that the Sussexes' marriage was in deep trouble since Harry's composure remained serious while Markle turned around and tried to maintain a cover-up smile.
However, they misjudged an important moment as it unfolded. The conversation took place just before the National Anthem began, suggesting that Harry may have alerted Meghan to the music's start to prevent her from facing the wrong direction during the live televised event. The expectation to look straight ahead is rooted in principles of etiquette and royal protocol. Thus, it might mean that Harry was simply acting like a dutiful husband and cautioning his wife from making a spectacle of herself. However, the Duke couldn't always guide her; Cosmopolitan reported that Markle breached royal protocol multiple times during her 22 months as a working royal. Notable protocol violations include: wearing bare legs instead of nude tights during her engagement photos, donning an off-the-shoulder dress at her first Trooping the Color, opting for all-black outfits outside of mourning, using dark nail polish contrary to Queen Elizabeth's preferences, and wearing wedges during her 2018 Australian tour, which was considered a fashion faux pas by the Queen.
Markle redefined her role within the royal family on her own terms by stepping back as a working royal in 2020 and establishing her identity in California. With her continued rebelliousness, the Duchess hinted that she would not remain in the royal fold for long. The scenes from the balcony in 2019 were just the tip of the iceberg; they did not reveal a broken marriage but rather suggested a united front from the Sussexes when it came to saving their backs.
