After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals, they gave numerous interviews airing out the family’s dirty laundry. So it’s no surprise that when they returned to the U.K. things with the Sussexes and Harry’s relatives were awkward. Now that the couple has released a Netflix docuseries and Harry has written his tell-all memoir, no one is sure whether or not the duke and duchess will return to England for King Charles III’s coronation and if anyone will speak to them.
One of the last times Meghan and Harry were at a royal event, the prince was seen chatting briefly with just one member of his family. Here’s what the Duke of Sussex said to his cousin, Zara Tindall, outside the church, according to a lip reader.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in the U.K. together for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. They attended a service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, which marked their first event together as non-working royals. Their demotion was on full display for the public to see as they lost the prime seating positions they had become accustomed and were taken to seats in the middle of the second row.
According to royal biographer Tom Bower, Harry wasn’t thrilled with the seats and decided that he and his wife should at least sit closest to the aisle so he asked Princess Beatrice to move down. The usher, however, told Harry that would not be possible, and when the prince demanded to know who gave that order the usher responded: “Your grandmother.”
The cameras were on the Sussexes as they left the church as well and caught the prince saying a few words to Princess Anne’s daughter.
For those wondering what they were talking about professional lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Mirror that Harry made a rather unusual comment to his cousin, telling Zara: “You lost some weight.”
Zara had given birth to her son Lucas a year earlier. Freeman noted that Zara replied to Harry: “No I haven’t. How do you know?” Harry appeared to say back: “I know, nice in pink! I didn’t know whether you’d wear blue, pink, orange, green, grey.”
The Duke of Sussex could then be seen doing a little wiggle motion in front of Zara before he and Meghan saw that the car to take them from the church had arrived.
After that quick chat with Zara, the Sussexes descended down the steps of the cathedral to the waiting car. However, they got a reception from the crowd they didn’t seem ready for.
Even with the church bells chiming loudly booing from those gathered outside the church could be heard. The duke and duchess tried to control their reactions to the mix of cheers with the boos. But at that moment, as many royal watchers have pointed out, Harry and Meghan couldn’t really mask the disappointment on their faces.
