Despite attending numerous esteemed events in the royal calendar, from Trooping the Color to the annual Christmas walk, the Duchess of Sussex notably abstained from joining the royal family for their Easter church outing.
In April 2018, just weeks before her wedding to Prince Harry, members of the royal family congregated at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle for Easter. However, the engaged couple, Harry and Meghan, opted to skip the gathering, with Queen Elizabeth being joined by Prince William, Kate Middleton (then pregnant with Prince Louis), Princess Eugenie and her then-fiance Jack Brooksbank, Princess Beatrice, and other royals.
The following year, in April 2019, Meghan was absent from the Easter service due to her pregnancy with the couple’s first child, Prince Archie, who arrived just weeks later. However, Prince Harry attended the event solo. In 2022, the royal family reconvened for the Easter church outing, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte making their debut alongside their parents. Despite Queen Elizabeth’s absence, sources revealed that she followed the proceedings online.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan spent Easter that year cheering on athletes at the Invictus Games in The Hague, deviating from the royal tradition. Their unconventional approach to the holidays was evident in Meghan’s participation in the royal family’s Christmas celebrations in 2017, shortly after their engagement, defying conventional royal protocol.
In the Netflix documentary series “Harry and Meghan,” the Duchess fondly recalled her initial Christmas experience with Prince Harry’s family, describing it as akin to “the big family I’ve always wanted.” Prince Harry echoed her sentiment, describing the festivities as “fantastic” and expressing the family’s delight at having Meghan in their midst.
While Meghan’s absence from the royal family’s Easter gatherings may seem perplexing, her unique approach to royal traditions reflects her desire to forge her own path within the institution.