Meghan Markle missing key event with Kate Middleton means 'ship has sailed' for any royal reunion

Meghan Markle's absence from a key charity event she helped launch alongside Kate Middleton has proven the "ship has sailed" for any reunion between the pair, a royal commentator has claimed.

The Duchess of Cambridge celebrated a milestone moment for mental health service Shout, which she set up with Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan, with a solo visit to the headquarters.

Kate cut a solitary figure as she met with volunteers — a remarkably different scene to what would have taken place if Harry and Meghan didn't step down as senior royals, an expert has pointed out.

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Royal biographer Robert Jobson told The Mirror Shout was a seminal initiative by the 'Fab Four', and Kate's solo appearance symbolises how much the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have distanced themselves from the royal family.

"It was one the first mental health initiatives that the so-called royal "Fab Four" championed together. Together the four of them invested £3 million ($5.7 million) from their then-joint Foundation to launch it," Jobson explained.

"A lot has happened since then, much of it irreparable. If could have been a 'Fab Four' day out if things had been different — but that ship has long sailed."

Meghan and Harry's lack of involvement with Shout is an interesting move, Jobson says, as the Duchess of Sussex spoke about feeling suicidal herself in a bombshell interview with Oprah.

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The former royal admitted she was suffering mentally in January 2019 due to the negative press which the palace refused to officially push back on.

Despite the visit marking a big change within the royal family, Jobson said the duchess handled the engagement with grace.

Shout is a free, 24/7 mental health text support and Kate celebrated the charity's millionth text by visiting their Notting Hill Office.

"She put everyone she met at ease, asked all the right questions, talked about difficult issues such as people struggling with family relationships, and depression and suicide, without turning the entire visit gloomy," Jobson said.

"She seemed genuinely surprised when Mark Ungless, 49, a digital analyst, told her that eight per cent of the texters with suicidal thoughts came from children as young as 13 or younger between 10pm and midnight."