Prince Harry ‘only stayed for half an hour’ at Buckingham Palace after King's Coronation as he rushed to Heathrow
9 May 2023, 10:42 | Updated: 9 May 2023, 11:15
The Duke of Sussex ‘spent less than half an hour at Buckingham Palace’ after the coronation service on Saturday as he rushed home to California.
Prince Harry jetted off back to California just hours after his father’s crowning on Saturday, as he dipped in and out of Buckingham Palace without seeing his family.
The Duke spent less than half an hour at the palace after the coronation ceremony, The Telegraph reported, as he made a dash for Heathrow Airport while his family were still busy with coronation duties.
He attended the event itself with cousins Princess Eugenie and Beatrice, who he was seen entering the church with. Harry was seated on the third row, two rows behind his brother, Prince William.
Photos captured on the day show the Prince leaving Westminster Abbey at around 1:15pm and arriving at Heathrow about 2pm.
By returning home the same day he missed the official Coronation portraits with the rest of his family on Sunday, as well as the Windsor Castle concert.
However, sources at The Telegraph stressed that his brief appearance was purely for practical reasons, as he was in a rush to make it home to Meghan and the children – particularly as Archie’s birthday coincided with coronation day.
The Prince’s brief attendance at the palace was the first time he had visited since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last September, and it was the first time he appeared alongside his family since the publication of his memoir Spare in January.
During the 36-hour trip back to the UK, Harry stayed in his former family home, Frogmore Cottage.
The Prince only confirmed his attendance to the event in April, just weeks before the coronation was set to take place as the decision to attend was apparently a difficult one.
Despite the shortness of his trip, King Charles was reportedly pleased by his son's decision to show up, as a source said: “It is about showing up, showing support and being there for his father.”
The King reportedly made a toast to his grandchildren at the Royal Family lunch, including “those that weren’t there” and birthday boy Archie “wherever he was”.
