Why Meghan Markle Couldn't Stand With The Queen And Kate During Remembrance Service

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Why Meghan Markle Couldn't Stand With The Queen And Kate During Remembrance Service

Over the weekend, royal watchers had the chance to see Queen Elizabeth II and the senior members of the royal family come together for a few Remembrance Day-related events.

In her first appearance since wrapping up her tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand, Meghan Markle accompanied Prince Harry to the Festival of Remembrance Service at Royal Albert Hall.

The couple, who are expecting their first child next year, joined Her Majesty, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate Middleton at the special event that commemorated those who lost their lives during World War I.

It was the first time since July that the young Princes and their wives were photographed together.

The "Fab Four," as some fans like to call them, were also spotted again on Sunday morning for the annual Remembrance Day service, but this second appearance caused a lot more buzz than expected.

While Charles laid the wreath, the Queen stood on a balcony above the Cenotaph alongside Camilla and Kate, and Meghan Markle was spotted on another balcony with the German president's wife Elke Bí¼denbender.

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For many royal fans, this was an unusual sight that brought up has lot of questions and some red flags. Some people were left wondering if the Duchess of Sussex was an intentional snub.

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According to those familiar with the situation, the balconies are very small, making it impossible to fit more than three people at the same time, so instead of putting all of the women in uncomfortable positions, the royals separated themselves according to their "pecking order."

Although the present and future queens of England stood together, it doesn't mean Meghan was slighted. In fact, she was given the important position of standing with the German First Lady. After all, maintaining relationships with foreign diplomats is part of her duties as a royal.

Royal watchers had similar concerns when Meghan made her official Trooping the Color debut in June. Instead of standing in front of the balcony, the duchess was seen behind Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are ahead of her and Harry in the line of succession.

"She was not as prominent perhaps as some people might have expected, but there's a pecking order," Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, told People. "There was no slight intended, but William being the older, more senior brother would go out [first] with his wife."

Even with an order, a royal insider explained to the outlet that the decision about the former Suits star's position "would have come from her. There's no one laying this out, telling her where to stand. And there were a lot of kids who everyone would want at the front."

Matt Holyoak/Kensington Palace

So Meghan's fans should no longer be surprised if she's ever spotted standing behind or away from the senior members of her family.

The mom-to-be is expected to appear alongside her new family at Charles' 70th birthday celebrations later this month.

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.