Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, joined different individuals from Britain’s royal family on Friday for a church service honoring Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne, unveiling their first public appearance in the U.K. since moving away from royal duties two years ago.

The queen skipped the event at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, which came on the second of four days of celebrations denoting her Platinum Jubilee. The 96-year-old ruler has experienced issues moving around in recent months and experienced “some discomfort” in the wake of smiling and waving to crowds of allies from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening.

Be that as it may, royal watchers immediately moved their concentration to Harry and Meghan, who held hands as they walked down the long central aisle joined exclusively by a military officer in a red dress tunic. Different visitors extended their necks to watch the couple take their places in the second row, highlighting their lesser roles as non-working members of the royal family.

Prince Charles, who represented the queen, and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, had special chairs in the first line on the opposite side of the central aisle. Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge were situated close to them.

Harry and Meghan started strains within the royal family when they moved to California and signed worthwhile media contracts. The rift extended after they made claims of racism and harassing in the royal household. However, they flew back to Britain for the jubilee celebrations, bringing their son, Archie, and girl, Lilibet, who had never met her distant grandma the queen.

“This is, again, Elizabeth II trying to put on a united front, bringing her family together one last time, probably, during her reign, so that … handing over to the next monarch, she can be seen to have done at least publicly her best to try and unite the divisions that have opened up within the family group over the last couple of years,” Ed Owens, author of “The Family Firm: Monarchy Mass Media and the British Public 1932-53” said in an interview before the jubilee.

The service of thanksgiving occurred a day after the festivals opened with the sparkling military parade known as Trooping the Color, an event that has denoted the sovereign’s official birthday for some 260 years.

Following the event, a huge number of royal allies cheered fiercely as Elizabeth joined other senior royals on the palace balcony and 70 military airplanes thundered above in salute.

The queen obstinately showed up later in the evening outside her home at Windsor Castle for the last snapshots of a international beacon lighting ceremony. Moving gradually and with some trouble she pressed an illuminated globe that sent a river of lights flooding toward Buckingham Palace, where a sculpture of living trees was illuminated.

However the palace said she had partaken in the celebrations, the queen evidently decided that one more trip from Windsor back into London on Friday may be excessive. Prince Charles again subbed for his mom at the church service, as he has frequently finished of late.

However, the queen was still part of the service as members accepted she was watching on TV.

Ecclesiastical overseer of York Stephen Cottrell talked straightforwardly to her in his message, energetically riffing on her adoration for horse racing.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any great tips for the Derby tomorrow, but since the scriptures describe life as a race set before us, let me observe that your long reign reflects the distance of Aintree rather than the sprints of Epsom …,” he joked. “But with endurance, through times of change and challenge, joy and sorrow, you continue to offer yourself in the service of our country and the commonwealth.”

“Your Majesty, we’re sorry you’re not with us this morning, but we are so glad you are still in the saddle,” he added. “And we are all glad that there is still more to come.”