Platinum Jubilee: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry attend church service honoring queen

LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have appeared in public for the first time during the Platinum Jubilee.

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According to The Associated Press, the pair, along with other members of the British royal family, attended a service Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. The 96-year-old monarch skipped the event, however, citing “some discomfort” during Thursday’s festivities, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

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Harry, 37, and 40-year-old Meghan, formerly known as Meghan Markle, stepped down as senior royals and moved to Southern California in 2020, according to The Washington Post. The couple traveled to the U.K. with their 3-year-old son, Archie, and daughter Lilibet, who turns 1 on Saturday, for the four-day jubilee, the newspaper reported.

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The visit, which marks the first in-person meeting for the queen and Lilibet, comes more than a year after Harry and Meghan opened up about the difficulties of royal life in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. In the two-hour interview, which aired March 7, 2021, Meghan said that when she was pregnant with Archie, there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” according to the AP.

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Winfrey, visibly shocked, first replied, “What?” before asking for clarification on who was having those conversations.

Meghan said the issue was brought up with Harry, not her, but declined to say who was involved.

“I think that would be very damaging to them,” Meghan said.

Later, Harry corroborated Meghan’s claim but said he’s “never going to share” the conversation.

“But at the time, it was awkward,” he said. “I was a bit shocked.”

Two days later, Buckingham Palace officials released a statement on the queen’s behalf, saying the royal family was “saddened” by the revelations.

“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning,” the statement read. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

The statement added: “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”

Harry’s brother, Prince William, responded to the allegations later that month, saying, “We’re very much not a racist family,” according to the AP.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Photos: British royals, minus Queen Elizabeth, attend Platinum Jubilee church service Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving held at St Paul's Cathedral as part of celebrations marking the Platinum Jubilee of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in London, Friday, June 3, 2022. (Aaron Chown/Pool photo via AP)

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Photos: Queen Elizabeth II leads lighting of Platinum Jubilee beacons Britain's Queen Elizabeth II prepares to touch the Commonwealth Nations Globe to start the lighting of the Principal Beacon outside of Buckingham Palace in London, from the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London, as part of Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 2, 2022, in Windsor, England. (Steve Parsons-Pool/Getty Images)

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Photos: Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee kicks off with Trooping the Color Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)

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