Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were notably absent from the Vigil of the Grandchildren last night.
Also absent were the younger generation – Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.
And it has been ‘revealed’ that there is a good reason for all the absences.
Meghan and Kate absent from vigil
The Queen will lie in state until tomorrow morning (September 19), when her funeral take place.
As she has been resting at Westminster Hall, tens of thousands of Brits have been filing past to pay their respects.
However, the royal family have also been showing their respect with a series of vigils.
The latest saw the Queen’s beloved grandchildren surrounding their grandmother’s coffin.
However, some royal fans have noticed that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were absent.
According to the Mirror, it is understood that the spouses of the Queen’s actual grandchildren have stepped aside to allow the cousins to grieve together.
The Queen lies in state at Westminster Hall
Mike Tindall, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank were also among the royal spouses absent from the event.
Instead they remained at their respective homes in Windsor.
Lasting 15-minutes, the vigil saw mourners continue to file past the Queen lying-in-state, while the royal grandchildren honoured their ‘Grannie’ in person.
Prince William stood at the head of the coffin.
His brother, Prince Harry, stood at the opposite side at the foot.
The six remaining grandchildren – Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn – stood at either side of the coffin.
While William and Harry were wearing their military uniforms at the request of the King, the others wore black.
They wore “morning coat and dark formal dress with decorations” to honour Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
A statement from Buckingham Palace said: “The grandchildren, at the King’s invitation, are very keen to pay their respects – just as their parents are doing the evening before.”
It was expected that Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and the other spouses could be on hand to support their partners.
However, the elevated platform where members of the family have been standing was noticeably uncrowded.
Just Edward and Sophie, the Count and Countess of Wessex, were in attendance to support children Louise and James.
Tension over Harry’s uniform at the Vigil
It was reported today that Harry had been left “devastated” over being stripped of the Queen’s initials on his uniform.
Initially Prince Harry wasn’t thought to be wearing military dress, due to his non-working royal status. However, after permission was granted by King Charles he donned his military uniform and medals.
The 38-year-old previously served two tours in Afghanistan but after leaving the royal family in 2020 alongside wife Meghan Markle, he was no longer seen as a working royal or member of the military.
As a result, he was not expected to wear military dress as standard.
The Duke of Sussex was a Personal Aide de Camp of the Queen.
As a result, had previously worn the cypher ‘ER’ representing the Queen. However, it was among the posts he resigned when he stepped down from royal duties and moved to California.
Read more: Queen and Prince Philip’s coffin to be ‘retrieved’ after funeral and re-buried together
For the vigil, he was granted permission to wear his livery once again but with one change – the Queen’s ER initials were removed from his shoulder.
A source claimed to The Sunday Times: “He is heartbroken. To remove his grandmother’s initials feels very intentional.”
The initials were not removed from his brother Prince William’s uniform, or his uncle Prince Andrew’s uniform whilst they stood vigil.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!