1 week Ago By Seamus Duff, Jailene Cuevas
A heartwarming video shows Prince Harry making his then-fiancée Meghan Markle laugh during an official state event . The 40-year-old Prince and the 43-year-old former Suits actress , who got married in May 2018, were attending the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey two months prior to their wedding . The state event, designed to celebrate the member states of the Commonwealth, featured a performance by One Direction star Liam Payne , who tragically passed away last year at the age of 31.
At the 2018 event, Liam performed a cover of John Mayer's hit song Waiting on the World to Change, accompanied by two acoustic guitarists. After finishing his performance, Liam fist-bumped his fellow musicians as the Royal family and numerous dignitaries looked on. This service marked Meghan's first participation in an official event with the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96.
Royal correspondents have noted that the American actress seemed nervous during the event, but Harry effortlessly brought a smile to her face. After Liam finished singing, Harry turned to his future wife and humorously raised his eyebrows, sending her into fits of laughter. Since stepping down from their Royal duties in 2020 and relocating to the US, Harry and Meghan have had a strained relationship with the Royal family.
The release of Harry's memoir, Spare, in 2023 further highlighted the tension, as it cast the Royal family in a negative light, reports the Mirror . According to a friend of the prince, Harry had grown tired of being dismissed by his family members, who allegedly rolled their eyes at his suggestions on how to run the family. This friend told the Daily Mail, "They believe Harry's outspoken remarks may have been triggered because previously his voice and opinions were rarely heard within the Royal Family.
" Harry was once regarded as the "resident joker" of the family, but he felt undervalued. Meghan has also spoken about her difficulties adapting to life in the UK's upper class. In an interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby, she shared her struggles during her pregnancy with Prince Archie, saying, "Any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging.
" The interview made headlines when Tom asked Meghan how she was feeling, and she was taken aback by the simple question. She responded: "Thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes." Tom then inquired: "And the answer is, would it be fair to say, not really OK?" to which Meghan responded: "Yes.
" In 2021, Meghan Markle made headlines when she disclosed her struggle with suicidal thoughts during her time in the Royal family. In a revealing conversation with television legend Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex admitted that there was a point where she "just didn't want to be alive anymore." Last year, discussing her poignant admission, Meghan opened up to Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning about her desire for her candor to potentially save lives.
She shared, "When you've been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey - certainly part of mine - is being able to be really open about it. "I really scraped the surface on my experience, but I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way and I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans and I would never want someone else to not be believed." Meghan continued, "If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good so everything is OK, then that's worth it.
I'll take a hit for that." DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter..
