Prince Harry has claimed that he was ‘not invited’ on the plane that the rest of the royals took to Balmoral to see the Queen before her death – as he opened up about the final moments he spent with her.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, was back in the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle, for a slew of charity events last September when his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II’s health suddenly declined on September 8.
The Queen died later that day – but when reports started to circulate that Harry didn’t arrive to the castle until more than two hours after her passing, while the rest of the family got there before her death – many were left to wonder why he came so late.
Now, during an explosive new interview with 60 Minutes, the royal has claimed that his delayed arrival was the fault of his family members – saying that he was not included in their travel plans, despite the fact that there was plenty of room for him on the plane that they all flew on to get to Balmoral.
Prince Harry has revealed that he was ‘not invited’ on the plane that the rest of the royals took to Balmoral to see the Queen before her death
The Duke of Sussex, 38, was back in the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle (seen on September 5), for charity work – when his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth’s health declined on September 8
The Queen died later that day – but Harry reportedly didn’t arrive to the castle until more than two hours after her passing. He is seen arriving in Balmoral
Now, during an explosive new interview with 60 Minutes, the royal claimed that he came hours later than the rest of the family because he was not included in their travel plans
He told host Anderson Cooper that he texted his brother, Prince William, 40, to see how he and his wife, Kate Middleton, 41, were going to get to the estate, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, but that he was never given the flight details.
‘I asked my brother – I said, “What are your plans? How are you and Kate getting up there?”‘ he recalled.
Harry told host Anderson Cooper that he texted his brother, Prince William, 40, to see how he and his wife, Kate Middleton, 41, were going to get to the estate, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, but that he was never given the flight details
‘And then, a couple of hours later, you know, all of the family members that live within the Windsor and Ascot area were jumping on a plane together, a plane with 12, 14, maybe 16 seats.’
‘You were not invited on that plane?’ Anderson asked him, to which Harry replied, ‘I was not invited.’
Prince William, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, and Prince Andrew were seen arriving together on a private plane. William’s wife, Kate, appeared to stay in Windsor as she was photographed picking up her kids in England later that day.
Harry ultimately flew to Scotland alone – and by the time he got to Balmoral, the Queen had sadly passed away at age 96.
However, Harry said he spent ‘some time with her alone saying goodbye,’ adding that he was ‘really happy’ because she could now be with her husband, Prince Philip, who died one year earlier – in April 2021.
‘I walked into the hall, and my aunt was there to greet me,’ he remembered of his arrival at Balmoral. ‘And she asked me if I wanted to see her.
‘I asked my brother, “How are you getting up there?”‘ Harry (seen with William two days after the Queen’s death) recalled. ‘A couple of hours later, the family was on a plane together’
Prince William is seen getting off the plane (circled left) in Scotland, followed by Edward and Sophie (pictured center), and finally Prince Andrew (pictured right)
Harry (seen arriving in Balmoral) ultimately flew alone and by the time he got to Balmoral, the Queen had sadly passed away at age 96.
Harry (seen with Meghan and the Queen in 2018) said he spent ‘some time with her alone saying goodbye,’ adding that he was ‘really happy she’d finished life’
‘I thought about it for about five seconds, thinking, “Is this a good idea?” And I was, like, “You know what? You can do this. You need to say goodbye.”
‘So I went upstairs, took my jacket off and walked in and just spent some time with her alone.
He also claimed in his upcoming memoir, Spare (seen) that his father, King Charles III, 74, that his wife, Meghan, 41, was not welcome at the castle on the day the Queen died
‘She was in her bedroom. I was actually really happy for her because she’d finished life. She’d completed life.
‘And her husband was waiting for her. And the two of them are buried together.’
In a separate interview with Tom Bradby on ITV yesterday, Harry said his family members had a ‘horrible reaction’ to the Queen’s death.
‘The day that she died was just a really, really horrible reaction from my family members,’ he stated.
‘And then by all accounts, well certainly from what I saw and what other people probably experienced, was they were on the back foot and then the briefings and the leaking and the planting.
‘I was like “We’re here to celebrate the life of granny and to mourn her loss, can we come together as a family?” But I don’t know how we collectively – how we change that.’
He also reportedly claimed in his upcoming memoir, Spare, which released in Spain last week and will premiere worldwide on January 10, that his father, King Charles III, 74, said that his wife, Meghan, 41, was not welcome at the castle on the day the Queen died.
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