Sophie Wessex was seen making a touching gesture to Meghan Markle during the Queen's lying-in-state procession on Wednesday, September 14. The Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Sussex joined the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales at Westminster Hall.
Camilla, Kate, Sophie and Meghan were seen standing side by side, close to the door where the Queen's coffin, followed by their husbands, arrived. Kate, who travelled to the ceremonial procession with Camilla, was spotted talking to the Queen Consort and the Countess of Wessex briefly, while at other times her eyes were fixed to the floor.
Royal writer Rebecca English, having been in the hall, recounted her experience. She observed there was a "notable gap between Sophie and Meghan" at first, "while the three working royals bunched together".
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She shared: "Meghan, 41, looked decidedly self-conscious from my vantage point, just above her in the 900-year-old building, the oldest on the parliamentary estate. Shoulders back, clutching her programme and bag, she was the most stylish and striking of them all. She wore a pair of pearl earrings given to her by the Queen as a wedding present.
"But there was something self-consciously awkward about her posture, demonstrating the depth of the rift between herself and the rest of the royal family even if you happened upon them without any prior knowledge of the acrimony of the past four years. Indeed Meghan, who was holding black leather gloves, seemed so lost for something to do that at one point she rested her left hand in her pocket."
But Sophie, who has a reputation as a "peacemaker" within the royal family, could be seen leaning over to chat. it comes after the pair travelled together in the ceremonial procession, following behind the Queen Consort and the newly-appointed Princess of Wales, the Mirror reports.
Describing the sweet gesture, English added: "Meghan, who had travelled in a car with Sophie from Buckingham Palace earlier - while the Queen Consort and Kate, as the two most senior women now in the royal family, went ahead together - a reason to move slightly closer to her husband's aunt."
It comes after Meghan and Harry joined Kate and William on Saturday afternoon outside Windsor Castle in an unannounced visit to observe floral tributes left for Queen Elizabeth II. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the new Prince and Princess of Wales were seen thanking the public for their support following the death of the monarch.
It was the first time the group had been seen together publicly in several months and the crowds were left delighted as they took the time to read many of their tribute messages and perused the beautiful floral tributes that had been laid. You can read more on this here.
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