Prince Harry made a surprise appearance Thursday in London, where he joined his sister-in-law, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, for an annual service honoring the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces.
Harry recently moved into a new home outside London on the grounds of the family’s Windsor Estate, where his wife, the former Meghan Markle, is believed to be waiting out the birth of the couple’s first child.
The prince’s appearance at the service inside Westminster Abbey had not been announced until Buckingham Palace confirmed his visit shortly before his arrival. It seemed to indicate that Meghan was not in any immediate danger of going into labor.
Harry and Catherine smiled and chatted with each other as they entered the church. The two in-laws have always enjoyed a close relationship, with the prince reportedly describing Catherine as the sister he never had. But rumors of tension between their two families have swirled ever since Meghan formally joined the royal family last May.
The annual Anzac Day of Commemoration and Thanksgiving marks the anniversary of the first major military battle by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I.
Catherine’s husband, Prince William, was in New Zealand for a service paying tribute to military members who lost their lives in battle.
The most recent public appearance by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was in March, when she and Harry visited London’s New Zealand House. The couple offered condolences to the victims of the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch.
New Zealand holds a special place in Harry’s heart for several reasons. Among them, he and Meghan visited the nation last October as part of their first official tour abroad together. The pair also visited Australia, Tonga and Fiji.
