Final bows. Meghan Markle greeted Queen Elizabeth II‘s coffin at Westminster Hall with a respectful curtsy.
The Suits alum, 41, followed behind the late monarch’s royal procession from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, September 14, in a car as husband Prince Harry walked alongside Prince William, King Charles III and more. When the procession reached its destination, Meghan stood with Princess Kate and Queen Consort Camilla, all of whom were dressed in black. As the coffin was carried into the chapel, the Duchess of Sussex dipped into a curtsey and bowed her head. Other members of the royal family gave the same admiring welcome.
Meghan’s greeting echoes a similar one demonstrated by Princess Anne earlier this week. The Princess Royal, 72, was at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday, September 11, as her late mother’s casket arrived on its way to St Giles Cathedral. The coffin was draped with the royal standard of Scotland and topped with flowers, and Anne bent her knees as a sign of respect.
The queen died on Thursday, September 8, at age 96. She is survived by Anne, her only daughter, and three sons — Charles, 73, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — whom she shared with the late Prince Philip. Elizabeth’s eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren also carry on her legacy.
Harry, 37, and Meghan have remained in the U.K. as the official mourning period continues. The couple stepped down from their senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California, where they’re raising son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 15 months. Their little girl’s name is a nod to the queen, who was given the nickname “Lilibet” by her late husband.
Meghan has not yet spoken at length about the royal matriarch’s passing, but the Duke of Sussex issued a heartfelt statement on Monday, September 12. “In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen — and in mourning her loss — we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty. She was globally admired and respected. Her unwavering grace and dignity remained true throughout her life and now her everlasting legacy,” he wrote. “Let us echo the words she spoke after the passing of her husband, Prince Philip, words which can bring comfort to all of us now: ‘Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.'”
The former military pilot went on to praise his “Granny” for her dedication to her country. “You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III,” he noted.
Despite their exit from their senior roles, Meghan and her husband have been involved in the events leading up to Elizabeth’s state funeral. The twosome joined William and Kate, both 40, for a rare joint appearance on Saturday, September 10, as they walked around the Windsor grounds to view tributes left in the queen’s honor. William extended the invitation himself, a source exclusively told Us Weekly.
“For all of their differences in the past, many of which still linger, this was what The Queen would have wanted and William knew very well that it was no time to be holding onto grudges or distancing himself from his brother,” a second source explained. “They needed to put on a united front and pay their respects for her sake as well as the monarchy as a whole and the people she served so tirelessly during her reign.”
