Finding out together. Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth’s death is a hot topic after it was revealed when he learned about his grandmother’s passing. A rep for King Charles III revealed when Harry found out after reports came out that he found out about Her Majesty’s death five minutes before the public.
According to the Telegraph, Prince Harry was en route to see his grandmother when King Charles called him on the plane to inform him about her death on September 8, 2022. The news outlet also reported that the Duke of Sussex only found out about her death five minutes before the public and was “the last to know” of her death before the information was released to everyone else. The Palace doesn’t usually comment on speculation like this, but in a rare move, King Charles III’s spokesperson responded to the rumors. They told the Daily Mail on September 18, 2022, that “the public was only informed after every family member had been informed.”
Since then, Prince Harry was been heavily involved in tributes and traditional ceremonies after his grandmother’s death. For the first time in a while, Prince William and Kate Middleton invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for a walkabout to look at the tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Kensington Palace says William invited his brother and sister-in-law to join him and Kate. Earlier in the day, William was present for his father’s proclamation as King. The couples who were wearing all black looked fondly at the flowers and messages of support to the Queen and her family. “We are all very grateful – both sides putting all things aside for the Queen,” a Royal source told Page Six.
On September 17, 2022, Prince William, Prince Harry and his cousins held a vigil for their grandmother. They surrounded the Queen’s casket and took a moment of prayer for 15 minutes for their beloved grandmother. Notably, Prince Harry was seen with his military uniform on after he was not permitted to wear it for the Queen’s coffin procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Royal officials reversed course in a surprising “U-turn” on Thursday, September 15, royal expert Omid Scobie tweeted. However, at the Queen’s funeral on September 19, 2022, the Duke of Sussex was not wearing his uniform again and did not salute.
Harry made a public statement on his charity Archewell’s website to honor his grandmother and remember the fond memories they had together. “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my commander in chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren. I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III.” He also mentioned how she and her husband Prince Philip are reunited. “We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”
Image: Courtesy of Random House.
For more about the British royal family, check out Sally Bedell Smith’s 2012 biography, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch
. The New York Times bestseller, which includes the “real story” behind several storylines featured in Netflix’s The Crown, follows Queen Elizabeth II’s life from her childhood as the “heiress presumptive” to her father, King George VI; to the moment he met her husband, Prince Philip, when she was 13 years old; to her ascension to the throne at 25 years old in 1952. Elizabeth the Queen, which also includes interviews with Buckingham Palace sources and never-before-revealed documents, provides a deep dive into the Queen’s legacy as one of the most famous monarchs in recent history.
