Prince Harry has officially departed the United Kingdom after being part of grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral. The prince, who has since moved to California with wife Meghan Markle and their son Archie, was back in his home country for a few days, only getting a slight moment to touch base with family. While he returned for that event, his swift departure meant he’d miss out on seeing some major family members and a certain, major royal family celebration.
According to the Daily Mail, Harry arrived back in the United States on Tuesday. He was reportedly spotted at LAX airport at around 1:30 p.m. local time. Since he has returned to California, this means that he will be missing out on celebrating Queen Elizabeth II‘s birthday, was on Wednesday. The publication reported that it was widely speculated that Harry would be staying in the country to celebrate his grandmother’s birthday. But, sources have also claimed that he was “conflicted” about the decision and that he wanted to return home to Markle, who is currently pregnant with their second child.
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Harry won’t be the only member of the royal family to miss the queen’s birthday. Her son, Prince Charles, will not be celebrating with the matriarch as he is currently residing in Wales. Harry’s brother, Prince William, will also not be celebrating with the queen on her big day, according to the Daily Mail. The queen will be turning 95 on Wednesday. Her birthday comes days after she and members of the royal family mourned the death of her husband, Prince Philip, at his funeral, which took place at Windsor Castle on Saturday.
While Harry returned to the United Kingdom in order to attend the funeral, his wife was not able to travel with him as she had reportedly been advised not to make the trip due to her pregnancy. Even though she wasn’t there in person, Markle still paid her respects to the late prince. According to Vanity Fair, the Duchess of Sussex sent along a wreath with her husband that was laid at the chapel in Windsor Castle. The wreath was reportedly designed by Willow Crosley, who is a florist who has worked with the royal couple in the past for their events. The floral arrangement was a very symbolic one, as it contained Acanthus mollis (Bear’s breeches), the national flower of Greece, and Eryngium (Sea Holly), which was meant to represent the Royal Marines. The arrangement also included roses, in a nod to Philip’s birth month of June.
