Prince Harry was a bit too late in reaching Balmoral in time to say a final goodbye to late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday before she died. Although Harry is now in the Scottish castle, without his wife Meghan Markle, to mourn the death of the Queen, he missed out on meeting his grandmother before she died.
However, Harry may not be blamed for this as it appears most of the royal family could not make it in time as most of them were on their way to Balmoral when her death was announced. Buckingham Palace declared the passing of Britain's longest-serving monarch aged 96 at 6.30 pm this evening.
Late to Say Final Goodbye
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex's, representatives had earlier stated that she and her husband Prince Harry would be traveling to Scotland to visit the late Queen, but then claimed that plans had changed because of the "fluid" circumstances. Later, Harry left for Balmoral alone to be at the side of the Queen in her final hours but even he couldn't make it.
According to flight data, the Duke of Sussex's jet was still in the air and it took close to 15 minutes for it to arrive at the airport. He was then seen leaving the airport in the back seat of a car just after 7 o'clock.
At 7:52 p.m., Harry finally made it to the Scottish estate, where he joined other Royal Family members in grieving the Queen's death. He was almost an hour and a half late in reaching Balmoral.
Harry, who was originally scheduled to attend the WellChild Awards in London on Thursday evening, traveled to Balmoral without his wife Meghan. He was scheduled to speak at the awards ceremony honoring the brave deeds of seriously ill children before he canceled the visit.
Although Meghan is said to have stayed in London, she decided against going to the WellChild awards. A source said that the duchess may eventually accompany Harry to Scotland.
However, insiders said that Meghan had no ulterior motive for skipping Balmoral. When word of the Queen's condition spread, she and Harry were already in the UK, living at their former house, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
Missing the Last Opportunity
When Harry and Meghan arrived from California this week, no other members of the Royal Family were expected to see them. The Sussexes last met The Queen during the Platinum Jubilee festivities in June, when she first met their daughter Lilibet, who was given the name in honor of Her Majesty's childhood nickname.
This morning, Charles, the new King and his wife, traveled from Dumfries House to Balmoral by royal helicopter, and the King was seen carrying a briefcase. Princess Anne has already arrived in Balmoral after a recent engagement.
At 4 pm, a plane carrying seven members of the royal family, including Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and the Countess of Wessex, took off from RAF Northolt in London. Along with his scandal-plagued uncle Prince Andrew, Prince William was spotted driving an official Range Rover as it approached the Queen's Balmoral residence on Thursday afternoon. It appears that they were also late to say goodbye to the Queen.
Kate Middleton stayed behind to be with her children, who started school Thursday.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral, according to the Buckingham Palace. "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
Millions of the Queen's subjects in the UK and worldwide will grieve her loss during the 10 days of national mourning that will follow her death in Britain and her Commonwealth states.
Additionally, there will be a celebration of her historic 70-year reign, which saw her reach her Platinum Jubilee this year—a milestone that is unlikely to be attained by another British monarch— as her son ascends to the throne.
