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Meghan and her husband Prince Harry have stepped back from their royal duties this year and moved to LA, California. The news was a surprise to the UK, especially as the couple had been married for less than two years when they made the shock announcement. Consequently, Meghan has only been to the horse-racing festival of Royal Ascot once as an official part of the Royal Family.

As the landmark occasion starts without spectators for the first time ever this week, a glance back at the royals who have made their debut at the event reveals Kate was not present when Meghan attended Ascot in 2018.

That year, The Mirror reported: “The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been invited by the Queen to watch this year’s event from the royal box, and Meghan is expected to present the winning trophy.

“She’s attending the popular event just four weeks after becoming a member of the Royal Family.”

However, Prince William and Kate Middleton did not attend the festivities that year.

Their absence was noted partly as reports of a rift between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were emerging.

Yet their absence should not be taken as a snub to the Sussexes, as both were called away for other reasons.

The Duke of Cambridge was on another royal duty while Kate was caring for Prince Louis, who would have been less than two months old at the time.

She did go to a handful of events following Louis’ birth, such as Trooping the Colour, but Kate scaled back her engagements during her six-month maternity leave.

William was in Liverpool for the International Business Festival as he was the patron for the occasion for 2018.

In comparison to Meghan, Kate waited for five years before attending the annual occasion.

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She made her Ascot debut in 2016, in honour of the Queen’s 90th birthday.

The event is thought to be the monarch’s favourite occasion of the whole year, and is also a popular socialising occasion for the British public.

William was apparently reluctant to push Kate into her royal role too early, and so during her first few years as a senior royal she attended far fewer engagements than she does today.

Meghan on the other hand got engaged to Harry after a whirlwind romance of just over a year.

She also said in 2018 a few months before her wedding that she was eager to dive into her new job.

During a joint interview with Kate, Harry and William, she explained: “I guess we wait a couple of months and then we can hit the ground running, but up until then I’m pretty excited.”

It is therefore unsurprising that Meghan was keen to embrace all aspects of royal life just one month after her wedding, such as Royal Ascot.

Town and Country also compared her debut with Kate’s in 2016.

The article explained: “Both ladies arrived in the royal carriage procession with their husbands, and Meghan and Kate both wore white for their first Ascot appearances.”

Kate also attended the 2019 Royal Ascot races while Meghan was on maternity leave with her son, Archie.

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