As international attention converged on London this past Saturday, June 13, to witness the Trooping the Colour parade—the ceremonial event marking King Charles’ official birthday—the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were engaged in a distinctly different set of activities across the Atlantic. This physical and ceremonial separation serves to further underscore the growing distance between the lives led by Harry and Meghan and those of the working members of the British royal family.

Meghan Markle’s Quiet Evenings in Montecito

At their private residence in Montecito, California, Meghan Markle, 44, utilized her weekend to reconnect with close friends in an intimate setting. Departing from the rigid formality of royal pageantry, the Duchess opted to host a game night featuring mahjong.

Details regarding this gathering were shared by her friend, Kelly McKee Zajfen, co-founder of the Alliance of Moms, who took to Instagram on June 14 to document the occasion. In her post, Zajfen enthusiastically introduced the new pastime she had recently taken up, while extending her gratitude to “M” (Meghan’s nickname). She wrote: “Ugh oh. Another one has been taken by the Maj bug. That being me 😝.”

Zajfen further elaborated on the significance of the evening: “A perfect day spent with my ladies and having some much needed mama time. Thanks M & T ✨✨ Now back to the babes and obsessing over my next game. ✨”

It is worth noting that Meghan’s fondness for mahjong will come as no surprise to those who followed her Netflix docuseries, With Love, Meghan. During the first season, the Duchess revealed that she regularly convenes a circle of close girlfriends for the game—a ritual that appeared to continue over the weekend while Prince Harry was away.

Prince Harry: From the NBA Court to the Warrior Games Spirit

Meanwhile, Prince Harry, 41, experienced a vibrant weekend in San Antonio, Texas. On Saturday, the Duke of Sussex was spotted at the Frost Bank Center attending Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. According to sources close to PEOPLE, this was no impromptu appearance; Harry was in San Antonio to attend the Warrior Games, an adaptive sports tournament for wounded, ill, or injured military personnel, running from June 13 to 20. During the game, he was pictured engaging in conversation with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Harry’s involvement extended beyond mere spectating. The following day, he actively participated in volunteer efforts on the sidelines of the event. The military charity Fisher House Foundation shared footage of the Duke of Sussex joining the staff of United Airlines to serve BBQ to competitors, their families, and staff members.

In their post, the foundation expressed their sincere appreciation: “A special lunch came with a special surprise today. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, joined the Warrior Games Family Program serving up bbq cooked up by the @united airlines bbq team to families competitors and staff.” They also highlighted the profound impact of the event: “More than a decade after attending his first @dowwarriorgames, Prince Harry continues to return to the event that helped inspire the creation of the @weareinvictusgames, a meaningful reminder of the lasting impact of adaptive sports and the resilience, determination, and camaraderie on display throughout the week.”

The Future of the Invictus Games and Ongoing Logistical Hurdles

The Warrior Games served as the direct inspiration for Harry to launch the Invictus Games following his initial attendance in 2013. To date, he has successfully hosted seven cycles of the competition and is set to bring the games back to Birmingham, England, in 2027. Although Harry plans to travel to the U.K. in July for related kickoff events, insiders indicate that Meghan and their two children—Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5—are unlikely to accompany him. The primary obstacle remains the complex security concerns that have persisted since the couple relinquished their taxpayer-funded police protection in 2020.

Reflecting on the past, Trooping the Colour was once a staple of Harry and Meghan’s annual calendar. In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry recounted the palpable awkwardness of Meghan’s debut at the event in 2018. When Princess Kate asked Meghan for her impressions of the ceremony, Meghan jokingly replied: “Colourful.” According to Harry, this remark was followed by an uncomfortable silence, which he described as: “A yawning silence threatened to swallow us all whole.”

While the royal family continues to uphold traditional rituals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the independent trajectory of Harry and Meghan in the United States continues to carve out a new chapter—one where they move beyond established molds to pursue their own values and vision.