meghan markle kate middleton balcony

The simple reason Meghan Markle was on a different balcony to Kate Middleton at Remembrance Sunday event

The Duchess of Sussex shared a balcony with the Countess of Wessex

Content Managing Editor
November 10, 2019

The Queen was joined by members of the royal family as she attended the Remembrance Sunday service at Whitehall, London. And while Her Majesty watched proceedings from a balcony alongside the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, some questioned why the Duchess of Sussex was not stood alongside the royal trio.

WATCH: Camilla, the Queen and Kate share one balcony while Meghan stands alongside Sophie

The reason is simply because the royals are grouped together in order of precedence. The Queen was accompanied by Prince Charles' wife Camilla and Kate on one balcony; in previous years, Prince Philip has joined the event, but in his absence, Kate took his place, just as she did last year.

The Queen shared a balcony with Camilla and Kate

On Sunday, Meghan, who last year stood next to Elke Büdenbender, the wife of Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was joined by the Countess of Wessex and Sir Timothy Laurence on one balcony.

MORE: See all the photos of the royal family at Remembrance Sunday

The balconies of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office building are also much smaller than, for example, Buckingham Palace, when all of the royal family have enough space to stand together on one balcony at events including Trooping the Colour.

Meghan was stood with Sophie and Sir Timothy Laurence

On Sunday, while the Queen watched the Remembrance Day service from the balcony, Prince Charles laid a wreath on her behalf. An equerry also laid a wreath on behalf of Prince Philip.

MORE: Eamonn Holmes shares sad news as he goes back home to Belfast

Other royals who attended the event included Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. After the service, Andrew took the Salute at the March Past of Veteran Organisations on Horse Guards Parade.

The royal family attended a number of engagements to mark Remembrance Day this year. On Saturday evening, the Queen stepped out for the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. She was joined by Prince Charles and Camilla, the Cambridges, the Sussexes, Prince Andrew, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

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