Following the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, Prince Harry travelled to Balmoral Castle without his wife, Meghan Markle. Katie Nicholl, a royal specialist, claims that Meghan was not issued an invitation to visit the family at the estate.
Even though Prince Harry was unable to get at Balmoral in time to visit his grandmother, it is understood that the family wanted him to attend, according to Nicholl.
“But Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not, we understand, invited to join the family,” Nicholl adds. “She has said she will go to Balmoral another time. But I think it is quite significant that Prince Harry traveled to Balmoral on his own without his wife.”
It was planned for Harry, 37, and Meghan, 41, to attend the WellChild Awards in London. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex postponed their appearance after it was revealed that Queen Elizabeth’s health had deteriorated, and the duke flew alone from London to Scotland.
Shortly after the queen’s passing became known to the public, Harry’s jet touched down. The duke was observed driving up to the estate in a black SUV while partially hiding his face with his hand.
The Queen Consort, Princess Anne, King Charles III, Camilla, and other family members were already in Scotland for other commitments. Earlier in the day, Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Sussex, all travelled to Scotland.
Which family members, if any, were present when the queen passed away has not been established.
Kate Middleton was seen in Windsor picking up her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, from school. She did not accompany her husband. A day earlier, William and Kate—now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall—were spotted taking their kids to a school function.
As the immediate family has gathered, Nicholl claims that the images of them travelling to the castle support their feelings.
“I think the pictures that we saw of family members arriving at Balmoral really said it all,” she tells ET. “This is a family in mourning now, and of course, the queen was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother.”
At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday. The royal family’s social media channels released an official statement that acknowledged her demise. Charles, who is now the king, issued the family’s first official statement after the news.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the new king said.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the statement continued. “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”