Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Stood So Far from Kate Middleton and Prince William During First Public Appearance Since Baby Archie

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Saturday for the Trooping the Color, they notably didn’t take center stage and were instead placed far away from Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had arrived in a carriage alongside Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Middleton, when the Royal Family escorted themselves out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace, they were standing to the far right behind a gaggle of little royals.

Although the peculiar placement caused some raised eyebrows and plenty of talk online, according to Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, the couple’s placement was all due to a royal “pecking order,” which sees more prominent figures, or those closer to the throne, taking center stage.

“She was not as prominent perhaps as some people might have expected, but there’s a pecking order,” Little told PEOPLE. “There was no slight intended, but William being the older, more senior brother would go out [first] with his wife.”

A palace source had previously told the outlet that “there’s no one laying this out” or “telling” the royal couple “where to stand,” and that their placement behind a group of children is because “there were a lot of kids who everyone would want at the front.”

The outing marked the Duchess’ first public outing since she and Harry introduced son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to the world on May 8 at St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle. The couple had welcomed baby Sussex, their first child together, on May 6.

“It’s magic. It’s pretty amazing. I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy,” the new mom had said during the brief appearance. “He has the sweetest temperament. “He’s really calm.”

“It’s great. Parenting is amazing,” Harry added. “It’s only been two and a half days, but we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.”

Currently, Markle has taken a step out of the public eye as she enjoys maternity leave and adjusts to life as a new royal mom. She notably skipped partaking in President Donald Trump’s visit with the Royal Family earlier this month.

Meanwhile, new dad Prince Harry has slowly been returning to his royal duties, even traveling to the Netherlands just days after welcoming his son to help launch the one-year countdown to the 2020 Invictus Games.

As for baby Archie, he, too, is remaining out of the spotlight for the time being and hasn’t been seen since his official introduction.