When Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, her grandson Prince Harry was the last family member to arrive at Balmoral. While it's fortunate that Harry was already in the UK the day his grandmother died, Harry was unable to see her before she passed.
In the days that have followed, a more clear picture of the dynamics between Harry and the rest of the royal family has unfolded. It appears that one reason Harry was so late in arriving to Balmoral is that he was refused a seat on the plane that took Princes William, Edward, and Andrew and Edward's wife to the castle.
It's believed that Harry and Meghan Markle were at their home of Frogmore Cottage when he received news that Queen Elizabeth's health was declining. At the time, it was believed that the pair would travel to Balmoral together.
Later, it emerged that Harry was expressly told by King Charles that Meghan was not welcome at the Queen's bedside. The reason given appears to be that Kate Middleton was also not traveling to Balmoral.
A source told The Sun, "Charles told Harry that it wasn’t right or appropriate for Meghan to be in Balmoral at such a deeply sad time. 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."
Once it became clear that Meghan was not invited to Balmoral, Harry was tasked with finding his own plane to the estate. Sadly, he did not arrive until nearly two hours after the Queen's death had been announced.
Harry also left the home early and was greeted by an airport worker when he arrived for his flight back to Frogmore. A source told The Sun, "He barely moved for the whole hour-long flight and was obviously reflecting on his beloved grandmother."
The source continued, "It was so sad to see him without the other royals to comfort him. I really hope the Queen’s death will help them heal their rifts."
Each of the royals who traveled on the flight were all coming from homes very close to Harry's own.
It's believed that William traveled from nearby Adelaide Cottage, which is about a half mile from Frogmore. Andrew was 3 miles away at Royal Lodge, and Prince Edward and Sophie were 15 minutes away at their own home.
King Charles seemed eager to appear supportive of Harry and Meghan in his first address following Queen Elizabeth's death, in which he said, "I express my love for Prince Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
