It was dubbed a ‘royal reunion’ at the time, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle united with the rest of the Royal Family for their first joint engagement in two years.

But the Sussexes were kept apart from Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles and Camilla – and left separately.

The Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at St Paul’s Cathedral, which took place on this day three years ago, came at a frosty time for Harry and his family

He had reportedly hardly seen his father and brother since emigrating to California with Meghan.

The Duke of Sussex had accused Charles of cutting him off financially and Meghan claimed an unnamed royal made a comment about Archie’s skin tone before he was born during their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview the year prior.

It was the first time Harry and Meghan had been on full public view alongside the Royal Family since they stepped down from official royal duties.

Crowds cheered the pair as they arrived, with the couple smiling and waving, but both boos and cheers could be heard as they departed.

And, although they would have known it had they seen their plummeting approval ratings in opinion polls, it was the first time they had to face up to the new reality that the public was turning against them.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend a Service of Thanksgiving for the 2022 Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

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Harry was seated at the opposite side to his brother Prince William and the two did not speak at the St Paul’s Cathedral service

Harry was seen laughing and joking in his seat as he spoke with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

Platinum Jubilee: Royals attend service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s

They arrived ten minutes before William and Kate and were seated to the right. When William and Kate arrived to loud cheers, they were whisked off to the left.

The late Queen missed the historic event following a last-minute decision announced by Buckingham Palace after she experienced ‘discomfort’ during the Trooping the Colour parade the day before. The Duke of York was also absent after testing positive for Covid.

Indicative of their new more minor position within the Royal Family, the Sussexes were seated in the second row, behind the Wessex family and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, with Harry next to Princess Eugenie‘s husband Jack Brooksbank and Meghan next to Princess Margaret‘s daughter Lady Sarah Chatto.

Across the aisle, Charles and Camilla had seats beside them for William and Kate and the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence.

Harry was seen appearing to enjoy a joke with someone seated across the aisle. Beatrice, sitting a few seats down from him, was also grinning in the same direction.

But William was not pictured smiling throughout the ceremony and did not exchange words with his brother.

Harry and Meghan previously told the Queen they would keep a low profile during the Jubilee celebrations and would only take part in official engagements.

She reportedly ‘ordered the family to come together’ with ‘no dramas’ to overshadow the events.