Prince Harry Makes Hasty Exit from London Following King Charles III's Coronation
Prince Harry, 38, wasted no time in departing London after his father's coronation, leaving less than an hour after King Charles III's ceremony concluded on Saturday, according to Page Six. The Duke of Sussex hurried back to California to be with his son, Prince Archie, in time for his 4th birthday.
Prince Harry was seen at Heathrow Airport's VIP Windsor Suite around 3 p.m. local time. He had been in the UK for just over 24 hours, having arrived on a commercial flight on Friday.
Despite ongoing family conflicts, Harry's attendance at the coronation seemed to be a gesture of goodwill towards his fellow royals. However, the author of "Spare" appeared to be snubbed at various points during the historic event.
At Westminster Abbey, Harry was seated in the third row of pews, alongside Princess Eugenie's husband, Jack Brooksbank, and the late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Princess Alexandra. The front row was designated for working royals, including Prince William and Kate Middleton.
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Following the ceremony, while other royals joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony, Harry began his journey back to the United States. A well-placed source previously informed Page Six that Harry would not be invited to the balcony appearance, but noted that Charles "loves his son" and might be swayed by emotions.
In California, Prince Harry will reunite with Meghan Markle, 41, who opted not to attend the coronation. She remained in Montecito with Archie and their 1-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet.
Royal biographer Omid Scobie recently explained that the Duchess of Sussex chose to stay away from the grand event in order to "protect her peace." He added, "[They] would rather the attention didn't go onto her. If you look back at some of Harry and Meghan's biggest problems, it was all down to the fact that the attention was always on them at times when it shouldn't have been."
Harry and Markle stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, two years after their wedding.