As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spent one of their last weekends in England as working royals, Queen Elizabeth herself asked the couple to attend church with her.
The 93-year-old Royal has reportedly been frustrated with her grandson’s decision to move to North America with his family, however, according to PEOPLE magazine her invitation to church in Windsor on Sunday was a peace offering.
“It was a really sweet gesture that the Queen asked them to church,” a source told PEOPLE.
PEOPLE’s source went on to say of the invitation that, “It’s telling in the sense that these two are still her family. And as a family, they all love each other.”
The pair’s appearance with the queen indicated that they seemed to accept her invitation of continued closeness with the family, which reminded many of the queen’s statement from earlier in the year when she said that Meghan, Harry and her great-grandson Archie “will always be much loved members of my family,” following the announcement that they would move away.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” the monarch said earlier in the year, according to PEOPLE. “I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life. I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”
During a Thursday appearance in London at the Endeavour Fund Awards, Prince Harry shared his great love of his home country and the military in which he served, in what some felt was a somewhat emotional farewell to his home.
“Meghan and I are so happy to be back here with you, to celebrate each and every one of you for your achievements, your service and your resilience,” Harry said according to Entertainment Tonight while giving one of his last addresses as a working royal.
“For some, the military community represents a brotherhood or sisterhood that no other organization can provide, and for others, it’s a way of life which you never want to leave. For a lot of us, it’s both,” Harry said during his address.
Harry also said that “leaving the military and hanging up your uniform is — we know — an incredibly hard thing to do … unless of course, it’s blue in color. … But being forced to hang it up due to injury, beyond your control, can be even more difficult to accept.”
The recently married royal grandson also made a nod to his upcoming change and his grandmother saying, “Being able to serve queen and country is something we all are rightly proud of, and it never leaves us,” he said. “Once served, always serving.”
