King Charles told Prince Harry not to bring wife Meghan Markle to Balmoral Castle to see the dying Queen as other senior royals rushed to the bedside of Queen Elizabeth II, according to reports. Meghan initially was announced to be going to Balmoral along with Harry but half an hour later the idea was dropped as she decided against going to see the dying Queen.
When the Queen passed away on Thursday at the age of 96, there was a tiny domestic drama involving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex going on. Although both Prince William and Prince Harry left for Scotland on hearing about the Queen's deteriorating health, none could say their final goodbye as both were late in reaching Balmoral Castle.
Unwelcomed Visitor
According to reports, Prince Harry was told by King Charles that "Meghan would not be welcome" at Balmoral, prompting his younger son to fly alone to Scotland to visit the dying Queen. In fact, Harry was the last to arrive at Balmoral Castle on Thursday and the first to depart on Friday.
His departure coincided with the revelation that the only royals to see the Queen before her death were King Charles, 73, and sister Anne, the Princess Royal, 72.
According to The Sun, Prince Harry was at Frogmore Cottage when his father called and pleaded with him not to bring Meghan. "Charles told Harry that it wasn't right or appropriate for Meghan to be in Balmoral at such a deeply sad time," a source told the newspaper.
"It was pointed out to him that Kate was not going and that the numbers really should be limited to the very closest family. Charles made it very, very clear Meghan would not be welcome," the source added.
Harry was quite close to his grandmother during happier times. The wider audience saw a peek of Queen Elizabeth II and her grandson in happier times when they appeared together in a humorous video in 2016 in response to Barack and Michelle Obama's mic-drop taunt ahead of the Invictus Games, a competition for handicapped veterans that Harry has promoted.
However, it was just coincidental that Harry was in Britain at the time Queen Elizabeth II died, and prior to her death, he had no plans of meeting his family during his visit from the United States, where he currently resides with his family.
That drama didn't end there. In fact, none of the senior royals cared to inform Harry about the Queen's health condition. According to The Telegraph, Harry, unlike his brother Prince William, was not initially summoned when top royals traveled to Balmoral for legal reasons.
A royal insider also said that "it's quite hard to spend too much time with someone you know is about to publish a tell-all book about you."
Another source said: "I think the general reaction to Harry and Meghan's behavior has been one of incredulity to be honest."
Almost Ignored
Harry reportedly was also not let to board the RAF aircraft that transported William, Edward, and Andrew to Balmoral.
On Thursday about 2:00 PM, Harry and Meghan announced that they would be traveling to Scotland together. However, after talking to the rest of the family, Harry decided to travel alone.
News of Harry and Meghan's plans to visit the Queen came via media. Journalists tweeted about their plans at 1.53 p.m. through the tiny number of media the Sussexes feel comfortable dealing with. The statement read: "From a spokesperson: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be traveling to Scotland."
Of course, the Palace was unaware of this, and it was not warmly received. To be honest, many people inside the royal gates were shocked.
A spokeswoman for the couple quickly started to "clarify" their stance, telling the same journalists that "only the duke was traveling at the moment." It is still unknown how much pressure was used by the Palace itself or whether senior royals were engaged.
It's impossible to know for sure what occurred. Some claim that when it was pointed out that Kate would be staying in London instead of there, William's wife would not be there, Harry and Meghan realized how awkward it looked.
After the intervention, Harry finally agreed to travel alone. He had to get his own plane as a result, which caused him to reach Balmoral approximately 90 minutes after the Queen's death was made public. His arrival time was 7.52 pm.
Just over 12 hours later, at 8.20 am on Friday, he was again on the road, heading to Aberdeen Airport to board the first British Airways flight to Heathrow.
An airline employee in a hi-vis jacket comforted him as he arrived at the airport, and they shared a touching moment before he boarded the aircraft. He remained subdued the whole trip and was seated next to a security officer.
Harry and Meghan, who live in California, were in the UK for a series of charity events. They suddenly had to make their Balmoral trip announcement after the Queen's health deteriorated.
They even decided not to go to the WellChild Awards in London as planned after they learned that the Queen's health was deteriorating. However, following their conversation, Charles learned that Harry would be traveling alone. Harry reportedly considered taking a helicopter instead of a private aircraft to get there.
However, he was denied a place on their flight, which departed from RAF Northolt at 2.39 and arrived in Aberdeen at 3.50. As a result, he was several hours behind other royals.
