It was one of the highlights of the platinum anniversary celebrations – the patriotic red, white and blue plumes of the Red Arrows filled the sky over Buckingham Palace, much to the delight of the royal family on the balcony.
But The Telegraph has learned that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in such a rush to leave last month’s Trooping the Color ceremony to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne that they missed the flypast altogether.
as the air show with the Royal Air Force aerobatics team Captivated the nation, the couple was already on their way back to Frogmore Cottage, their home in Windsor, to see their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one.
Although they couldn’t see from the balcony, they could have joined their fellow “non-working” royals on the roof of St. James’ Palace for the display by 70 aircraft, including Typhoon fighters, but chose to instead to go home from it.
The quick exit also avoided a family luncheon with royal cousins, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, after watching the parade of pomp and circumstance together. from the Major General’s office overlooking Horse Guards†
According to various sources, the cousins planned to visit Harry and Meghan later that day at Frogmore, but the “celebratory” lunch took much longer than planned. As one insider put it: “It was quite drunk and lasted well into the early evening, at which point there was no time to go to Windsor to see the Sussexes.”
The details of exactly what happened when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reunited with the royal family for the first time since their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey have emerged amid talks of a “Awkward truce” between the pair and “The Firm” over bullying allegations against the Duchess, which she denies.
On Thursday it turned out that an official investigation into the handling of allegations against Meghan would be kept secretand even those who participated were left in the dark about the findings.
The review, conducted by an independent law firm, will never be published, nor will staff be notified of changes made as a result.
The decision has raised serious questions about the transparency of the government-funded institution and its responsibility to staff working closely with the royal family.
The unusual silence on both sides on the matter has also led to speculation that Buckingham Palace and Sussexs, who work closely with their lawyers, both want to downplay the long-running dispute.
Both sides are believed to be hopeful of drawing a line under the episode – after the Duke and Duchess met the Queen at Windsor Castle once they arrived in the UK on June 1.
Contrary to reports that they introduced her to Lilibet after the Trooping ceremony, they flew into Farnborough airport the day before and went straight to Her Majesty’s private apartments.
The couple had hoped to bring their own photographer to capture the first meeting between the monarch, whose family name is Lilibet, and her great-granddaughter.
However, the Queen intervened personally to: prevent an official photo from being taken, who apparently advised the couple that she had a bloodshot eye and did not want to appear in photos for public consumption. It came after aides feared that publishing a private meeting could set a dangerous precedent, not least if pictures were shared with US television networks or Netflix, with whom the couple has signed a multi-million dollar contract†
The Duke is said to have expressed a desire to get an official photo of the two Lilibets together at some point in the future.
The Telegraph has also been informed that the Sussexes’ decision to take a solo stroll down the long aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral for the service of thanksgiving on June 3, eyebrows raised behind the palace walls—not least when they had been able to walk with Beatrice, Eugenie, and their husbands, sitting next to them in the pews.
One of the reasons the couple were seen leaving Clarence House that Friday morning was because they were in a security pod with the daughters of the Duke of York, who had apparently expressed concerns about their level of protection while visiting. the whistleblower.
Clive Alderton, the private secretary to the Prince of Wales, sat strategically at the end of the row behind the Sussexes – who interacted with the Duke of Duchess of Cambridge during the hour-long shift and also not all weekend.
Although the entire family was invited to Lilibet’s first birthday party on Saturday, only Tindalls’ children and Mr Phillips attended, while their parents spent the afternoon at the Epsom Derby.
According to a source, “There was a bit of reluctance among the royals to admit they were involved in Lilibet’s birthday party.”
That day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took Prince George and Princess Charlotte on their first official engagement to Wales, performing a series of duties in Cardiff. There was no interaction between the couples or their children.
The Sussexes were given the opportunity to Party at the palace on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon Platinum Pageantbut declined both – left the UK before the colorful carnival swept over The Mall.