HARRY and Meghan made another sharp exit as they snubbed a family Jubilee event yesterday.
The US-based pair dashed from the Queen’s thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral rather than join other royals and VIPs at a reception.
They were whisked back to Windsor after keeping their distance from Wills and Kate, during the frosty service.
The Celeb Report can reveal that the Queen has met Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan hurried away from the Queen’s thanksgiving service after a frosty 50 minutes back with the royals yesterday.
The couple were greeted with some boos from crowds outside St Paul’s as they arrived separately to William and Kate.
Read More on Royals
The Sussexes then sat in the second row more than 25ft across the aisle from the Cambridges, Charles and Camilla who got front-row positions as working royals.
Harry, 37, tried to crack jokes with younger royals and fidgeted in his suit pocket — with body language experts saying it was a sign of nerves and anxiety.
And there was no eye contact or acknowledgement between the Sussexes and Kate and William.
The two couples kept apart after the service, which Her Majesty, 96, did not attend because of her mobility problems. The Celeb Report can reveal the Queen has now met the Sussexes’ daughter Lilibet, who was named in her honour and turns one today.
Harry and 40-year-old Meghan, making their first public appearance in the UK for two years, rejected the chance to join family at a reception at London’s Guildhall.
Instead they were whisked back to their base at Frogmore Cottage, close to where the Queen is resting at Windsor Castle.
A Palace aide said: “Harry and Meghan were happy to swing by Clarence House to see Charles on the way to St Paul’s. But afterwards they were less keen to spend time hobnobbing with the family at the reception where they would rub shoulders with William and Kate.”
Inside the cathedral, Harry made attempts at jokes with Prince Edward and Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank. The Sussexes had to clamber past Princess Beatrice, 33, her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, plus Eugenie and Jack, to reach their seats.
‘The invisible man’
During the service, TV footage showed Harry reach into his inside suit pocket as Meghan reassured him: “Yeah, will be fine.” Harry was seen encouraging Meghan to get to her feet for the royal procession led by Charles, Camilla, William and Kate.
Wills, who has barely spoken to Harry since he quit royal duty, stared ahead as his brother glared past their cousins. When the Cambridges, Charles and Camilla took their seats in the front row all four looked stony-faced.
Harry was left making jokes with Jack and Lady Sarah Chatto — daughter of the late Princess Margaret — who sat to Meghan’s left. Meghan, in a cream jacket and hat, fixed a smile throughout and leafed through her order of service.
At times during the 50-minute service, Harry could be seen leaning forward with his head hanging low. The seating is believed to have been based on seniority.
Although neither Harry nor William asked to be seated away from the other it is understood aides agreed the plan to ensure the brothers would not be photographed together.
Harry and Meghan joined in a rousing rendition of God Save The Queen with the 2,000 guests. After the ceremony ended with the National Anthem, Charles led the procession out of the cathedral and could not resist a furtive glance in Meghan and Harry’s direction.
Harry’s head was turned the other way and he continued looking away when Kate and William walked past. As he stood to leave just after midday, Harry put an arm around the Earl of Snowdon’s waist.
Outside, the Sussexes waited for their transport and talked about outfits with Zara Phillips, who looked stunning in a pink dress.
Video footage showed Harry saying awkwardly to cousin Zara: “Are yours here yet? Ah, that’s ours. Nice in pink! I didn’t know whether you’d wear blue, pink, green, grey? Ah, Range Rover, that’s ours.”
The Sussexes were among 39 royal guests invited to attend a reception at the Guildhall, a seven-minute drive through central London.
Yesterday’s service was the couple’s first joint engagement since March 9, 2020 when they attended an equally frosty Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Body language expert Judi James said Harry’s gestures and expressions yesterday indicated his anxiety levels were “quite high”. She said: “It was like he had agreed to be the invisible man there to some extent.”
Read More on The Celeb Report
She said Harry’s mannerisms included keeping his head down — possibly a gesture of submission. He appeared to touch his clothes frequently, which can stem from anxiety — as could his attempts at jokes.
Ms James added: “There was also a return of the slightly haunted eye expression we used to see before they moved abroad.”
