Boos and Jeers Greet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Thanksgiving Service

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were met with loud boos as they arrived at St Paul's in central London on Friday for a service of thanksgiving for the 70-year reign of Harry's grandmother.

The couple's first combined public appearance in the United Kingdom since they resigned from the royal family in 2020 was met with a mixed reaction from the audience.

As the couple made their way up the steps of St Paul's Cathedral, the ringing of church bells made it difficult to tell how much of the crowd's clamor was positive.

However, boos and cackles could still be clearly heard on TV news coverage.

In spite of the fact that the couple's exit from the royal family was over a year ago, some members of the public still appear to hold resentment towards them.

Rhiannon Mills, a Sky News commentator, said the negative reaction from some shouldn't be a surprise because the jeers were clearly audible.

When the pair announced their plans to leave the monarchy in January 2020 and go to the United States, they sparked outrage in the United Kingdom where some felt they had snubbed the Queen by not giving her enough notice.

The pealing church bells, according to ITV News' royal reporter Chris Ship, made it difficult to hear the crowd's reaction.

Even though bells made it difficult to tell how many people in the crowd had booed and cackled, TV news coverage plainly heard audible boos and cackles.

Richard Palmer, the royal correspondent for the Daily Express, said that the couple faced a loud reaction and that it came from a mix of boos and cheers.

Palmer later tweeted that the mixed reaction turned to cheers by the time the couple reached the top of the steps.

The seating and the order of the service appeared to be arranged so that there was little chance that the brothers and their wives would interact or be photographed together.

Harry and Meghan didn't meet with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge outside, and the couples were seated some distance from each other in the church.

For all the talk about Harry and Meghan's reunion with William and Catherine, the real star of the event, 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, who was celebrating her 70th year on the throne, had to pull out of attending at the last minute due to ongoing mobility issues.

Despite some people's negative reaction to their presence in the UK, the Sussexes appeared cheerful and relaxed during Friday's Thanksgiving service, smiling and chatting easily with Harry's relatives, and sharing a joke and laughing with the Archbishop of York.

The Cambridges appeared more reserved during the service, although they also seemed to be in good spirits, especially when the crowds cheered them when they arrived at St Paul's.

As a whole, neither of the couples experienced the same level of tension as they had at their last big public event together.

Since Harry and Meghan's move to California, they gave their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which they alleged that a member of the royal family said racist things about their future children.

Harry said his brother was trapped in his role in the royal family, and Meghan claimed that Catherine made her cry before her wedding.

Tina Brown has said that the relationship between the two brothers still isn't good.

“‘I'm told there's absolutely nothing going on between them at the moment,' she told The Telegraph.

Amid tensions at the service in 2020 or on Friday, Meghan, more than anyone else, managed to maintain her composure.

It's likely she's able to draw on her experience as a former TV actor, which taught her how to hold herself together in high-pressure moments and to know where the camera is so that she can flash a megawatt smile.

For the service on Friday, much was made of the fact that Harry and Meghan and William and Catherine would be together at the same event for the first time in two years.

Unfortunately, the couple's arrival was met with a mixed reaction, including boos and jeers.

Despite this, the couple appeared to be in good spirits throughout the service, chatting easily with family members and laughing with the Archbishop of York.

The seating arrangement and order of service made it clear that there was little chance for interaction or photographs between the brothers and their wives.

While some members of the public may still hold resentment towards the couple, it's clear that they have moved on from their royal duties and are enjoying their new lives in California.

With tensions still high between the brothers, it's unclear when or if they will be able to repair their relationship.

However, one thing is certain: Meghan's composure in the face of adversity is a testament to her strength and resilience.