Harry and Meghan’s Slide Down the Royal Pecking Order

The seating arrangement at St Paul's Cathedral for the service of Thanksgiving on Friday was a public display of Harry's slide down the Royal Pecking Order.

This is according to royal expert Richard Kaye, who claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shuffled into a second row with other minor Royals and waited as the real stars of the show arrived.

Prince Charles, Camilla, William and Kate took part in a procession to their front row seats.

In an article written in the Daily Mail, Kaye said that nothing illustrated how the Sussex's exile in California has upended their old world than the manner and timing of their arrival at St Paul's.

As non-working Royals, they are now very much in the second division.

Although spared the indignity of sharing the coach that brought a clutch of minor Royals who similarly do not do official duties, such as Princess Michael of Kent's son Lord Frederick Windsor, they were only just behind them.

It was a painful 19 minutes before William and Kate arrived to take their seats.

If the reality of his new life had escaped Prince Harry thus far, it must surely have sunk in then.

Harry and Meghan, who have travelled from California for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, were seated in the second row behind Wessex family and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Far across the aisle were the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Cambridges.

The Sussex's had to squeeze past Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands Eduardo Mapelli-Mossy and Jack Brooksbank, who were already seated, to get to their places.

Working Royals filled the front row chairs, meaning there was no place there for Harry and Meghan in the prime positions.

However, the couple did make a solo procession after the rest of the Royals and before Charles and William.