It was a royal family affair! The annual Commonwealth Day service brought out several members of the British royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who exchanged warm greetings with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after arriving at London's Westminster Abbey. The former Meghan Markle stepped out in a chain-printed dress from Victoria Beckham, paired with a long, white coat. The duchess looked radiant as always! Getty Images She accessorized with muted, teal pumps and a matching Victoria Beckham handbag. She also wore a retro, pillbox hat for the service, which is the largest annual interfaith gathering in the United Kingdom. She wore a sleek, low bun paired with a pillbox hat for the formal occasion. Getty Images Meanwhile, the former Kate Middleton sported a red coat with military-inspired double buttons as she and Prince William stepped into Westminster Abbey. She paired the coat with a gray clutch and pumps. Everything about this is amazing! Samir Hussein/WireImage The striking coat was a royal repeat; she previously wore the jacket in 2014 during a visit to New Zealand. The duchess cradled Prince George as she wore the coat during her visit to Wellington, New Zealand, in 2014. WireImage This time, she wore a more sculptural red hat and pulled her hair into a low bun. She wore her hair in her signature chignon. Getty Images The two couples greeted each other warmly once inside. Catherine gave Meghan a hug and what appeared to be a kiss on the cheek. They later were seen sharing a friendly conversation. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge warmly greets her sister-in-law, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Getty Images The friendly images put into question ongoing rumors of tension between the two ladies, and their husbands, that have swirled ever since Meghan formally joined the royal family last May. Monday's service was the second time the two couples have been seen publicly together since attending a church service on Christmas. Earlier this month, they both attended a Buckingham Palace reception honoring Prince Charles. The sisters-in-law chat ahead of the Commonwealth day service. Getty Images The Westminster Abby service also brought out Queen Elizabeth II, who appeared in a cheerful, violet ensemble. She's also the queen of color-coordinated coats and hats! Getty Images Earlier in the day, the Duchess of Sussex wore a forest green Erdem dress and coat, embellished with black sequins. The duchess wore the green ensemble during a Commonwealth Day youth event in London. Getty Images The duchess also attended last year’s Commonwealth Day service with her then-fiancé Prince Harry, marking her first official occasion alongside the queen. Last year, she also wore a crisp, white coat — one of her favorites, in fact — while the Duchess of Cambridge sported a navy blue dress. Last year, the former Meghan Markle accessorized with a chic, white beret. Samir Hussein/WireImage The duchesses have done something of a switch since the previous Commonwealth Day service. Last year, the former Kate Middleton was pregnant with Prince Louis, while this year, the former Meghan Markle is the one cradling a baby bump. With the royal baby due as early as next month, the Duchess of Sussex seems to be keeping as busy as ever with with her official royal duties!<doc-sep>The royal family marked Commonwealth Day today by attending an interfaith service at Westminster Abbey celebrating the 53 commonwealth countries. Last year's event was Meghan Markle's first official engagement with the Queen, making her attendance today alongside Prince Harry particularly special. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall also attended the service alongside the Queen. See every photo from the day here:<doc-sep>The Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess Sussex joined members of the royal family in marking Commonwealth Day this week, but did you notice the very sweet similarity between their outings this year and last? On Monday, Meghan stepped out with her husband Prince Harry, showing off her baby bump in a sleek Victoria Beckham dress as she attended the service at Westminster Abbey. Rewind to one year ago, and her sister-in-law Kate was also pregnant when she attended the same traditional service in 2018. What's more, the two Duchesses appeared to be at the same stage in their pregnancy. Kate went on to welcome her son Prince Louis on 23 April, while heavily pregnant Meghan is expected to give birth in late April of this year. While Meghan is heavily pregnant this year, Kate was also due to welcome her royal baby last year Her exact due date is not known, although one detail is probable – the new royal baby may be a Taurus, just like their cousins Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, who was born on 2 May, and their great-grandmother the Queen, whose birthday is 21 April. Taurus birthdays fall from 21 April to 21 May, with character traits including being reliable, ambitious and loyal. MORE: Stacey Solomon surprises with photo of bare baby bump The royals arrive for Commonwealth Day service: Loading the player... It's not known whether Meghan is having a boy or a girl, as the couple have said they are keeping the sex of their baby a surprise. But the palace recently had to quash reports that the royals are planning to raise their baby gender fluid. An article in Vanity Fair claimed that the Duchess had told friends she planned to raise her child in a gender-neutral way, with sources stating that Meghan had used the word "fluid" to describe her plans. But a palace spokesperson replied: "This story is totally false." MORE: The Countess of Wessex wears quirky Victoria Beckham dress The royal baby will spend his or her early years living in Windsor, with Harry and Meghan set to move to Frogmore Cottage in the next few weeks. The country house has undergone extensive renovation works, including having a £50,000 green energy unit installed, plus an eco-friendly nursery. Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.<doc-sep>
Members of the royal family were reunited on Monday as they celebrated Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey. The Queen led the royals in attending the service and was given pride of place on the front row. Joining her were Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Kate. Viewers watching the service which was televised on BBC One may have wondered why Prince Harry and Meghan were sat behind the rest of their family, but the reason is simple. The royals took the same seats as they did at last year's traditional service, with the more senior members of the family – Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – sitting closest to the altar. Harry and Meghan were joined on their own row by Prince Andrew, who is seventh-in-line to the throne. Harry and Meghan sat behind the rest of the family The Queen became Head of the Commonwealth in 1952 when she was just 26 years old. This year's theme of the service was 'A Connected Commonwealth' and reflects how it is made up of 53 countries and almost 2.4 billion people, a third of the world's population. Her Majesty is also patron of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, while Harry is president, and Meghan is vice-president. MORE: Strictly pros congratulate Dancing on Ice winner James Jordan The royals had the same seating arrangement last year Other guests of honour among the 2,000 strong congregation included Prime Minister Theresa May, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, alongside high commissioners, ambassadors and dignitaries, senior politicians from across the UK and the Commonwealth, faith leaders and over 800 school children and young people. MORE: Louise Redknapp enjoys 'lovely date' with this Strictly star Harry and Meghan visit Canada House earlier in the day: Loading the player... Highlights of the service included a special musical performance by Grammy-winning group Clean Bandit and tenor Alfie Boe. A reflection was given by Lewis Pugh, an endurance swimmer, ocean advocate and the UN Patron of the Oceans. Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.