The Queen has appeared from Buckingham Palace with a walking stick to begin four days of public events to mark her historic Platinum Jubilee. Video / Supplied
OPINION:
With a finger to her lips and a smile on her face, the image showed the Duchess of Sussex putting family first.
Much had been made of Harry and Meghan's return to the royal fold ahead of the Platinum Jubilee, with courtiers concerned that a "Sussex bomb" might be about to land on the four-day festivities to honour the Queen's 70 years on the throne.
Yet as the Telegraph was the first to report, days before the couple jetted in from California with their children Archie, aged 3, and Lilibet, who turns 1 on Saturday, the plan was always to "stick to the official script".
Not only would they be avoiding any "surprise" unofficial events that might run the risk of overshadowing the 96-year-old monarch, they would also even be keeping a low profile at the official ones.
And so it was that the Sussexes spent Trooping the Colour being somewhat lesser spotted.
Bar the image of Meghan, 40, affectionately hushing Isla, 10, and Savannah Phillips, 11, who was holding Lena Tindall, 3, we saw barely hide nor hair of the couple, who only 15 months ago had made themselves so conspicuous on Oprah Winfrey.
The picture of her hushing Peter Phillips' and Zara Tindall's children appeared emblematic of what was a decidedly muted royal reunion.
Absent from the carriage procession to and from Buckingham Palace – as well as the later appearance on the balcony because of their non-working royal status – the only glimpse we caught was a brief peek out of the large windows of the Major General's Office overlooking Horse Guards Parade.
Another photograph captured the couple chatting amiably with the Duke of Kent, the Queen's cousin, from the office, which used to belong to the Duke of Wellington. Not so much a case of meeting their Waterloo, then. More like Super Trooper(s).
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were photographed at the Major General’s Office, Horse Guards Parade earlier. The couple were seen chatting with the Duke of Kent, and Meghan was spotted playing with Savannah Philips, Mia and Lena Tindall.
How they arrived no one really knew – although it is thought they may have been aboard a blacked-out minibus that was given a police escort up The Mall before the carriages started rolling out of Buckingham Palace.
The mode of transport may have been a far cry from the gilt-edged nature of their conveyance at previous parades, but a lot has happened since they took the decision to quit public duties in March 2020.
They didn't appear too concerned about the demotion either, with a spokesman confirming that they had been "looking forward" to watching the event, albeit from the cheap seats.
It is no secret that when they visited the UK in April, making a whistle-stop trip to see the Queen at Windsor Castle on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, Harry, 37, caused consternation at the palace after appearing to call "Granny's" safety into question.
In an interview with the US network NBC, Harry said of his rare visit: "I'm just making sure she's protected and has got the right people around her."
As such, those organising the jubilee had privately feared the Sussexes' habit of making unpublicised appearances, not to mention unexpected outbursts, might create a "circus" following their every move.
There had even been anxiety over whether they would be accompanied by the Netflix film crew that travelled to Britain with them en route to The Hague. (It later emerged the streaming giant, with whom they have signed a multi-million dollar deal, had not been accredited).
Yet the low-profile nature of their presence at Thursday's showpiece event suggests the couple, who will be introducing the Queen to her namesake Lilibet for the very first time, are adopting a family-first approach this weekend.
This is very much in keeping with Her Majesty's wishes. Even after the fallout from Oprah, when the couple accused the Royal family of racism, it was the Queen who kept insisting the couple remained "much-loved members of the family".
Behind the scenes, royal aides have been meticulously planning not only the events to mark the sovereign's historic milestone but also the "optics".
As one palace insider explained: "This jubilee is all about demonstrating what working royalty is all about. They will be made prominent by the media but none of the non-working royals are actually going to be that prominent. The distinction has been drawn between institution and family."
"It's about Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children being front and centre of the monarchy." Photo / Getty Images
As such, while the Sussexes are expected to attend Friday's Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, they will remain below the radar, publicly at least, while still included in all the royals' private events such as Thursday's lunch with the Queen.
It is not yet known whether they – or their children – will attend Saturday's Party at the Palace or the Pageant on Sunday but, as one royal source put it: "I'm not convinced you're going to see a lot of them. The Queen has been clear on it all."
The palace insider added: "That's the reality of where they are now, and it's about the Queen doing the final part of her job, signing it off with her seal of approval in a very clear and public way.
"It's about Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children being front and centre of the monarchy. It is her showing what she sees as the future of the family."
As the Queen said in her uplifting message to the nation: "I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and hope that the coming days will provide an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last 70 years as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm."
Much has been said and done since Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals. There will no doubt be tension behind palace walls as the couple reacquaint themselves with their royal in-laws, not least William and Kate.
But for the Queen, spending this Platinum Jubilee surrounded by family both near and far, this is not just about looking back – but forwards to the dawn of a new royal era.
