The Westminster Abbey service marked the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had seen many extended members of the Royal Family since the news had broken about their plans to depart.

In their Netflix series, Prince Harry said confessed the couple were “nervous [about] seeing the family”, largely due to the public glare around the prestigious event,

He added: “I felt really distant from the rest of my family, which was interesting because so much of how they operate is about what it looks like, rather than what it feels like.

“And it looked cold, but it also felt cold.”

This year, the Commonwealth Day service was missing several key faces, with King Charles and the Princess of Wales both undergoing treatment following cancer diagnoses.

Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales were present, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and The Princess Royal.

This year, marking the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth, the theme was resilience and transformation.

King Charles, though unable to attend, issued a pre-recorded message which was played during the service.

The monarch said: “I have no doubt that we will continue to support one another across the Commonwealth as, together, we continue this vital journey.”