Prince Harry And Wife Meghan Markle Plan To Leave UK Shortly After Queen's Funeral

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will reportedly be leaving the U.K. post-haste after the conclusion of Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the rest of the Royal family in grieving the Queen, who passed away on September 8.

Having left their two babies home, Harry and Markle will reportedly travel back immediately after the funeral ceremony ends. The family of four was separated for two weeks which is the longest they have been away from each other. The couple set out earlier this month for a different purpose however extended the trip after the Queen passed.

Read on to learn more.

According to reports, Harry and Markle will be rushing home to their two children in the U.S. at the end of the state funeral and committal service of Queen Elizabeth. The duo left their children home in order to attend the event, and the two long weeks apart have made them anxious to see three-year-old Archie and Lilibet, their 15-month-old.

The source told U.S. Weekly, "Meghan and Harry are preparing to return to Montecito almost immediately after the funeral, where they'll be reunited with Archie and Lilibet after being separated for over two weeks." The period is reportedly the longest time the royal couple has been away from their children.

The insider continued, "They've missed the kids like crazy and have been FaceTiming them every day but can't wait to see and hold them again after a poignant few weeks."

Harry and Meghan set out for Europe on September 4, intending to attend and speak at a number of philanthropic events. The couple initially planned to spend a week away from their children; however, with the Queen's death on September 8, they had to stay back. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex extended their stay and met with the rest of the royal family to grieve.

While Prince Harry did his best to rush to the Queen before the monarch passed, he ultimately could not get there in time. The 38-year-old was reportedly the last in the family to find out about his grandmother's death.

According to The Telegraph, King Charles III allegedly called the Invictus Games founder en route to the Scotland Balmoral Castle to inform him. This gave Harry only a few minutes before Buckingham Palace officially announced the death to the public.

In response to the reports, the King's spokesperson reached out to the Daily Mail on September 18 and revealed that every member of the Royal was informed before the public. The statement didn't particularly deny or confirm the reports concerning the time Harry was told.

Harry and Markle have participated in a number of ceremonies and outings with the Royal family since they landed in England. One such was when they were at Windsor with Prince William and Princess to talk to the mourners.

Harry also stood guard with Prince William by the Queen's coffin during the grandchildren's vigil this weekend. The Royal was clad in his military attire for the event, and it will reportedly be the only time he would be allowed to wear it.

As a result of his decision to step away from his senior royal duties in 2020, Harry was stripped of his titles. Buckingham Palace previously revealed that he and Prince Andrew would not be allowed to wear his military attire. Andrew was also stripped of his titles previously; however, it was after he was accused of sexual assault.

The decision caused a backlash, which led the palace to retrace its steps and make an exception for Harry, whose titles were stripped for an entirely different reason than Andrew's.

Harry and the rest of the royal family are reportedly on their way to fixing their distant relationships. Williams, in particular, notably moved away from the 38-year-old shortly after he and Markle stepped down from their senior royal duties. The brothers drifted apart even more after the Duke, and Duchess of Sussex did their tell-all interview with CBS in March last year.

While talking to the U.S. Weekly, Myko Clelland, a royal expert, revealed that judging from how much closer they sat together during occasions, the brothers had probably spoken to each other privately. He also mentioned that in the days after the Queen passed, the royal family had offered "a number of olive branches" to Harry. One of such is King Charles III's mention of the couple during his inaugural speech and William's invitation to greet the Windsor mourners.

"I think now is the time grief brings families together, and we've seen this coming together. So, if it's going to happen, I think now is the best possible chance," Clelland said.