All eyes were on the Royal Family as they watched, united on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a historic flypast to mark a century of the Royal Air Force.
The Queen led a day of national celebrations on July 10, 2018, which saw 100 aeroplanes, one for each year of the RAF, glide over the iconic balcony.
Earlier, more than 2,200 people attended a Westminster Abbey service, including the then prime minister Theresa May, secretary of state for defence Gavin Williamson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
After the service, the family met veterans, personnel, charity representatives and members of the civil service.
And, while all seemed smooth-sailing on the surface, looking back to that day, eagle-eyed royal observers have noticed a potential early sign that not all was well between Meghan and Kate at the Westminster service.
As Kate, with Meghan behind her, greets the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Prince William steps in between them.
Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline: ‘Superficially, and with the benefit of hindsight, now that we know about the tricky relationship between Meghan and Kate, this looks very much like a devoted and protective husband strategically and very pointedly stepping between his wife and her nemesis in the form of a human shield.
‘William’s body language shows he is clearly aware that Harry and Meghan have honed into position behind him and he immediately ducks his head to move to stand next to his wife, even sucking his lips inward in what is often a signal of regret.’
Meghan, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, are pictured watching the flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018
At the Westminster Abbey service to mark 100 years of the RAF, William stepped in between his wife and Meghan
Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline: ‘This looks very much like a devoted and protective husband strategically and very pointedly stepping between his wife and her nemesis in the form of a human shield’
The encounter came months after Meghan and Kate allegedly clashed over bridesmaids dresses at Meghan’s wedding.
While accounts of what happened vary, initial reports suggested that Meghan had made Kate cry during a disagreement over Princess Charlotte’s outfit – which the Suits actress later denied.
In his book, Yes, Ma’am: The Secret Life Of Royal Servants, Tom Quinn claims both women were ‘really upset’ by the incident.
A former member of staff told the author: ‘The truth is that during the discussions about the bridesmaid’s dress, Meghan said a few things she regretted and Kate said a few things she later regretted but it was all in the heat of the moment.
‘Both women were crying their eyes out!’
The unnamed employee went on to explain that the incident was ‘subtly altered’ and ‘made more significant than it really is’ by the media.
This resulted in the disagreement becoming a ‘marker for all the other problems that Meghan had with Kate and with William and other members of the family’.
However, Meghan gave a different version of events in her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
After William stepped in between Kate and Meghan, Harry seemed to lower his head to listen to his wife
The encounter also came months after Meghan and Kate allegedly clashed over the bridesmaids dresses at Meghan’s wedding
William and Kate, and Meghan and Harry attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018
She insisted that she was the one who had been hurt in the exchange, not Kate.
Meghan explained that Kate was upset about something, but later took responsibility, apologised, and even brought her flowers.
‘It wasn’t a confrontation,’ Meghan said.
‘I don’t think it’s fair to her to get into the details of that, because she apologised.
‘What was hard to get over was being blamed for something that, not only I didn’t do, but that happened to me.
‘And the people who were part of our wedding were going to our comms team and saying, “I know this didn’t happen. I don’t have to tell them what actually happened”.’
The discussion served as yet another example of the late Queen’s famous phrase, ‘recollections may vary’, which she famously used in response to the comments made by Harry and Meghan during the Oprah interview that an unnamed member of the family raised the issue of how dark their unborn baby Archie’s skin would be while Meghan she was pregnant.
Though the bridesmaids dress incident continues to be disputed, it remains one of the most talked-about moments leading up to the Sussexes’ wedding – and a lingering factor in the family’s rift.
In his book, Yes, Ma’am: The Secret Life Of Royal Servants, Tom Quinn claims that both Kate and Meghan were ‘really upset’ by the situation
Harry and William are pictured on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the RAF 100 flypast
The Waleses and the Sussexes walk back into Buckingham Palace from the balcony
William, Charles and Harry are pictured in an official portrait in the gardens of Buckingham Palace ahead of RAF 100 commemorations on July 10, 2018
The body language expert offered an alternative explanation to William’s body language at the RAF event.
Judi said: ‘There is a spatial gap between William and Meghan that doesn’t really show at this angle.
‘When the royals greet their hosts at services like this, there is something of a royal queue with gaps that can turn into a log jam if a royal keeps chatting, as Kate often can.
‘Meghan was new to the royal Firm and William’s body language to this point had shown him being friendly and welcoming.
‘This movement and change of position could be the kind of adjustment you make to the position of a group at a party when someone new comes to join in.
‘It is rude to keep your back to the newcomer as it is a sign of rejection. So, we often shuffle to ensure we encompass the new arrival.
‘Meghan would not have been allowed to join William and Kate here as the pecking order is firm, but it would be completely conceivable for a very polite William to move in to place to ensure his back is not turned against her as she arrived behind him.
‘He does move back as soon as the procession takes off so that his and Kate’s backs are naturally and inevitably turned to Harry and his wife.
Camilla, Kate, Meghan, Harry and Isla Phillips are pictured on the balcony during Trooping the Colour in June 2018
The ‘Fab Four’ are pictured at the first Royal Foundation forum summit in February 2018
At the time of the Royal Foundation forum, Harry said ‘working as family does have its challenges’, but insisted ‘we’re stuck together for the rest of our lives’
Bridesmaid dress-gate! How reports of Kate and Meghan arguing ahead of wedding unfolded
May 2018 – Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tie the knot in St George’s Chapel in Windsor
The bridesmaids, including Jessica Mulroney’s daughter Ivy and Princess Charlotte, have bare legs
November 2018 – The Telegraph’s royal editor Camilla Tominey wrote she had ‘spoken to two separate sources who claim Kate was left in tears following a bridesmaids dress fitting for Princess Charlotte’
May 2020 – Tatler reports the two argued over protocol of the young bridesmaids wearing tights or having bare legs
March 2021 – Meghan confirms there was a disagreement in her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, but she says it was actually the Duchess of Cambridge who made her cry
Royal expert Katie Nicholl says Kate ‘never wanted’ reports of a rift to come out in the press and has found the situation ‘mortifying’
January 2023: Harry’s memoir reveals new rifts between the Sussexes and William and Kate
‘It is conceivable that William was trying to be polite to Meghan here, although it is also equally conceivable that he might turn himself into something of a buffer between the two women as he did so if he was aware of any friction.’
While the Sussexes did not step down from the Royal Family until 2020, there had been signs of discord between the brothers and their partners even before the wedding.
In his book Spare, Harry detailed how Meghan asked to borrow lipgloss from Kate ahead of their appearance at the first Royal Foundation forum summit in February 2018.
He wrote that Kate was surprised, but rummaged around in her bag before offering it to Meghan.
He claimed that Meghan applied a little gloss to her finger and rubbed it across her lips before Kate made a ‘disgusted’ face.
The summit marked the first official appearance of the ‘Fab Four’ to announce that Meghan would become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation.
At the time, Harry said ‘working as family does have its challenges’, but insisted ‘we’re stuck together for the rest of our lives’.
But according to reports, it was an ‘awkward’ affair as Meghan took up the majority of the airtime, which apparently did not sit well with Kate.
There is a litany of reasons why the brothers and their partners no longer see eye to eye, but tensions between Meghan and Kate were certainly an aggravating factor.
As reports of peace talks made recent headlines, many royal observers hope that this could be a sign of reconciliation between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.
However, others believe that there is no longer a place for Harry or Meghan in the Royal Household.
