The royal family have gathered in London to celebrate the 100th year of the Royal Air Force.
And their newest addition, The Duchess of Sussex, has taken the prime position next to The Queen during the resplendent RAF fly-past at Buckingham Palace.
When Meghan Markle made her Buckingham Palace balcony debut at Trooping the Colour last month, the former Suits actress stood behind Duchess Catherine and Prince William in the back row.
It’s believed this was a decision made due to the royal hierarchy, which dictates family members stand in their pecking order.
However on Tuesday, the royal rule book was thrown out the window and Meghan Markle, who stunned in an elegant black Dior dress, was literally rubbing shoulders with her grandmother-in-law.
A royal promotion! Meghan Markle stands next to The Queen during the RAF fly-over.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stood in the back row at Trooping the Colour last month.
The Duchess looked confident and at ease as she chatted to her grandmother in-law.
Meghan places her hand on Harry’s shoulder.
The Queen usually stands next to her husband, Prince Philip, or her oldest son, Prince Charles, however as the Duke of Edinburgh has since retired and there was only a handful of select royals on the balcony, it seems Meghan was told to stand on one side and Charles on the other.
Nothing in the royal family is done on a whim, with each and every public outing planned to the minute. So why did The Queen suddenly decide to shake things up?
Well, it’s yet another symbolic gesture from Meghan’s new family, who have welcomed her with open arms since she married Prince Harry on May 19th.
Indeed, The Queen and Meghan Markle’s close bond was put on full display when they attended their first official engagement opening the Mersey Gateway Bridge in Cheshire last month.
Surprise! Prince George watches on from the window of Buckingham Palace.
Too cute! William and Catherine share a laugh.
The fab four were in great spirits.
Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, The Queen and Meghan Markle take centre stage on the balcony.
At one point, Meghan lovingly placed her hand on Harry’s shoulder as they watched the stunning aerial performance.
Taking a break from maternity leave, Duchess Catherine, who is the Honourary Air Commandant of the RAF, was also in fine form.
This week, the mother-of-three has attended back-to-back royal engagements including Prince Louis’ christening.
The mum-of-three cut a stylish figure in a pale blue coat dress by her favourite designer Alexander McQueen.
On the balcony, William and Catherine stood at the end of the line-up.
Prince William tries not to laugh during RAF service. Post continues…
It’s been a huge week for the royals, with the family celebrating Prince Louis’ christening on Monday.
A royal salute from Prince Harry and Prince William.
Fans were also delighted to get another glimpse of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who watched the RAF fly-past from the window of Buckingham Palace.
The royal siblings were supervised by Nanny Maria and Kate’s private secretary Catherine Quinn.
Earlier in the day, the “Fab Four” made up of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, led the royal family as they for a church service at Westminster Abbey.
Queen Elizabeth flies the flag.
We love seeing these four together.
During the ceremony, father-of-three William shared an exchange with his uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward who were sitting behind him which made him laugh.
The encounter soon caught his wife Kate’s attention. But once she looked over to him, William shyly tried to hide his giggles until he finally turned to his wife and continued laughing, which prompted Kate to crack her own smile.
Also in attendance was Princess Michael of Kent, who issued an apology to Meghan Markle last year after wearing a blackamoor brooch to The Queen’s Christmas lunch.
“The brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before. Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offence,” a spokesperson for the Princess said.
What’s so funny William?
The Prince and Princess of Kent were also in attendance.
