Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s last engagement as working royals was Commonwealth Day 2020: looking back five years on

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last attended an official royal event on Commonwealth Day five years ago.

Their appearance came two months after their official resignation as fulltime working members of the British royal family in January 2020, ahead of their move to the US.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived at Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day service on March 9, alongside Queen Elizabeth II, then-Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Prince Edward and wife Sophie, now the Duchess of Edinburgh.

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The couple then officially stepped down from royal duties on March 31, and relocated to Montecito, California, where they launched their own projects.

These initially focused on their dissatisfaction during their time as working royals and events that led to a major rift between brothers Prince William and Prince Harry.

Meghan spoke about that Commonwealth Day appearance during 2022 Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan, explaining it was the first time they had seen other members of the royal family following their decision to leave.

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“We were nervous seeing the family because all the TV cameras and everybody watching at home and everybody watching in the audience,” Harry said.

“It’s like living through a soap opera where everybody else views you as entertainment.”

“I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like.

“And it looked cold. But it also felt cold.”

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In 2019, Harry and Meghan had attended the Commonwealth Day service ahead of the birth of their child Archie just two months later.

Meghan has reflected on how much their lives have changed since their days as working royals in the latest issue of PEOPLE, on which the duchess features on the cover.

“Five years ago Archie was only eight or nine months old, so my life has changed so much,” she said.

Harry and Meghan are parents to Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.

Meghan’s new project with Netflix, a lifestyle show called With Love, Meghan, has debuted on the streaming service with season two recently confirmed.

The duchess also has plans to launch a lifestyle brand called As Ever.

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“I’m just trying to embrace every single day,” she told the publication.

The status of their relationships with members of Harry’s family remain unknown, with speculation King Charles stays in touch with his youngest son.

It is understood William and Harry haven’t spoken in some time.

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The British royal family has endured a challenging past 12 months, with both King Charles and the Princess of Wales being treated for cancer.

The princess has since entered remission while Charles’ treatment continues.

Both Charles and Catherine attended this year’s Commonwealth Day service, having missed out in 2024 due to ill health.

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