How Meghan was obscured from TV viewers by a giant candle

The Duchess of Sussex found herself hiding behind a candle and one of the tallest members of the royal family yesterday.

That meant TV viewers struggled to catch a glimpse of her as she often disappeared from view.

The duchess, 41, and her husband Prince Harry sat behind Tim Laurence, Princess Anne's husband, who towers over his wife. 

A large church candle also stood between her and the television cameras, while her wide-brimmed hat made it even harder for fans to see her.

Meghan and her husband Prince Harry were seated in the second row at Westminster Abbey next to Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

After a series of interviews in recent months in which she has been highly critical of the royal family, she may have been glad to keep a low profile. 

Despite the criticism, she has praised the queen, revealing in an interview with U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey last year that the monarch has always been kind to her.

'The Queen has always been wonderful to me,' she said. I really loved being in her company.... she was always warm and welcoming and really made me feel welcome. She may have been thinking about that yesterday, when she was seen wiping away a tear as the monarch's coffin was carried out of the abbey.

She wore a black cape dress by Stella McCartney with long gloves and a pair of pearl and diamond earrings given to her by the queen after her marriage to Harry.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, has long been considered the Queen's favorite daughter-in-law. Yesterday, she wiped her cheek with a tear for the monarch she has grown so fond of as she left the funeral at Westminster Abbey with other royals.

Sophie, 57, had accompanied her husband, Prince Edward, and their two children, Lady Louise Windsor, 18, and James, Viscount Severn, 14, to the service.

After Prince Philip's death, she was described as the queen's "rock. She has been a constant presence since the monarch's death, making a series of appearances to thank well-wishers across the country.

It has been reported that she will also inherit a number of patronages from Her Majesty, a move seen as an expression of the close relationship between the two. As a personal touch, the Countess of Wessex's outfit was embroidered with a motif of lily of the valley - the Queen's favorite flower.

Sarah, Duchess of York, 62, was apparently welcomed back into the royal family.

She also sat in the second row at yesterday's funeral, just behind the Princess of Wales.

Although she was excluded from the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and also did not attend the funeral of Prince Philip last year, she continues to maintain a warm relationship with the Queen. Last week, she said of the late queen, "To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend. I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me by staying close to me even after my divorce.