Did Prince Andrew and Meghan Markle ever appear together at a public event?

1. A single clear photographic record that settles the immediate claim

A 2019 image from the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey is the most direct piece of evidence that Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew were present at the same public event, showing Meghan sitting with Prince Harry while Prince Andrew also appeared in the service photos; multiple 2025 write-ups reference and reproduce that image when recounting the meeting ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Contemporary press from 2019 covering the Commonwealth events placed many working royals and family members together for formal seating and procession, and the 2025 retrospectives rely on that archival photo to document the encounter. Reporting that simply notes both figures attending later events—such as Jubilee thanksgiving services—does not by itself prove they interacted, but the Westminster Abbey photograph provides a concrete instance of shared public presence ^{[4] [1]}.

2. Conflicting reporting and gaps in interaction vs. presence

Some sources and analyses emphasize that while both were expected at the same high-profile ceremonies—most notably the Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving services in 2022—there is no definitive public record of a direct interaction or staged joint appearance between Meghan and Andrew at those later events ^{[4] [5]}. Several pieces cited in the dossier focus on Meghan and Prince Harry’s joint public outings and on Prince Andrew’s controversial public status, sometimes noting the awkward optics of their mutual presence without claiming direct engagement ^{[6] [7] [5]}. The distinction between being present at the same event and appearing together as interacting parties is a recurring omission in summary accounts, and readers should treat photographic proof of co-attendance as stronger evidence than speculative reporting about possible awkwardness or proximity ^{[1] [4]}.

3. How later narratives reframed the 2019 meeting

Articles from 2025 revisiting early Meghan-Markle royal encounters used the 2019 Commonwealth Service image to illustrate anecdotes—such as Meghan’s reported initial uncertainty about Prince Andrew’s role in the family—transforming a simple public seating arrangement into a narrative about interpersonal awkwardness ^{[1] [3]}. These retrospectives are factually anchored by the photograph but interpretive in tone, using the image to support stories drawn from memoir excerpts or accounts rather than new evidence of joint appearances. The result is a layering of anecdote atop an archival photo, which is valuable for context but should not be read as proof of repeated public co-appearances beyond the documented instances ^{[1] [2]}.

4. Contemporary coverage versus archival verification: weighing sources

Coverage from 2022 and 2025 illustrates two reporting tendencies: live-event journalism that lists attendees and later feature pieces that mine archives and memoirs for illustrative images and anecdotes ^{[4] [7] [2]}. The most reliable verification remains primary visual evidence and contemporaneous event lists; where those are absent, retrospective narratives can fill interpretive gaps but introduce potential selection bias. The sources provided mix cookie-policy placeholders and event stories that sometimes omit Andrew entirely, underscoring the need to prioritize direct photographic and contemporaneous reportage—such as the 2019 Westminster Abbey records and images—when answering whether the two have been at the same public event ^{[8] [1]}.

5. Bottom line: what is established and what remains unclear

It is established that Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew were both present at the 2019 Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, supported by photographic evidence cited in multiple 2025 articles; this confirms at least one public co-attendance ^{[1] [2] [3]}. What remains less clear from the available reporting is any pattern of repeated joint appearances, formal interactions, or mutual engagements beyond that documented service and the occasional overlap at large royal ceremonies—where presence does not equal interaction ^{[4] [5]}. Readers should treat the 2019 photograph as conclusive proof of shared public presence and view subsequent references as context or interpretation rather than additional hard instances ^{[1] [4]}.