Here’s why Meghan Markle has to stand behind the other royals
There’s a pecking order when it comes to the pomp and circumstance of the royals’ official Trooping the Colour ceremony, and that means where Meghan Markle stands isn’t prominently visible.
Meghan Markle—the new Duchess of Sussex—and Prince Harry are apparently supposed to step back a bit on a balcony to allow for Prince William and Kate Middleton to be in a more forward position. But that’s how things roll in the royal kingdom—in that order.
—Royal couple Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are going on tour—
“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, tells PEOPLE.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 09: Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Savannah Phillips, Prince George of Cambridge and Isla Phillips watch the flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 in London, England. The annual ceremony involving over 1400 guardsmen and cavalry, is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. The parade marks the official birthday of the Sovereign, even though the Queen’s actual birthday is on April 21st. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“There was no slight intended, but William being the older, more senior brother would go out [first] with his wife.”
Translation: Let’s save the best for last.
“[Meghan] was still in a good position,” adds Little. “She was central rather than the alternative of being in the front row and along the balcony to the left or right.”
No matter where she stands, Meghan Markle surely has a seat at the table as the newest royal.
The royal couple have been out making their rounds and they’ll be going on tour. On the royal tour menu for the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is a visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and New Zealand, reports PEOPLE.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake an official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand in the Autumn,” reads the announcement from Buckingham Palace.
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“Their Royal Highnesses have been invited to visit the Realms of Australia and New Zealand by the countries’ respective governments. The Duke and Duchess will visit the Commonwealth countries of Fiji and Tonga at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”
