How Prince Harry Honored Queen Elizabeth On The 1st Anniversary Of Her Passing

Prince Harry may have relocated to the US. However, the distance is not enough to stop the Duke of Sussex from paying tribute to his late grandmother!

The second son of King Charles recently returned to the U.K. in honor of the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death. The longest-reigning monarch of the British Empire passed away on September 8, 2022, at the incredible age of 96.

The late monarch's grandson paid his respects to the former Head of the Commonwealth realms days after lauding her with praises at a charity event. However, he commemorated the deceased's memory on behalf of his wife and two children, who remained in their California residence.

The "Spare" author was spotted on Friday, September 8, at the St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The venue had emotional links to the former working royal member as it was where he tied the knot to his longtime partner, Meghan Markle, in 2018.

The site also served as the burial grounds of his late grandmother, his grandfather, Prince Philip, and other prominent members of the British Empire. Following her passing at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth was moved to the King George VI Memorial Chapel on September 19 after her state funeral and committal service.

Per PEOPLE, Prince Harry honored the former ruler with a private visit to her final resting place. Additionally, a royal source claimed that other members of the royal family gave similar homages by going over to the late monarch's burial site on the first anniversary of her death.

As stated, the father of two visited his grandmother's grave after speaking about her passing at a charity event. The 38-year-old traveled to the U.K. to attend the annual WellChild Awards ceremony in London on Thursday, September 7.

The Duke of Sussex has been a long-time investor in the charity project, benefiting seriously ill children. However, he could not attend the 2022 event because it coincided with his grandmother's death.

While presenting the award for Inspirational Child to Violet Seymour, the youngest recipient of the night, the army veteran took a moment to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Reflecting on her passing, "The Me You Can't See" star claimed the deceased ruler would have wanted him to attend the ceremony at the time of her demise.

"As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away," the father of two began. "As you also probably know, she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her."

"And that's precisely why I know, exactly one year on, she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we're together continuing to spotlight such an incredible community," Prince Harry declared.

Before visiting his grandmother's grave, a representative for the former working royal had revealed the 38-year-old and his wife would have a solo commemoration of the late monarch's memory. "The Duke, the Duchess, and their family will privately acknowledge and honor the Queen on the anniversary of her passing," the source stated.

Prince Harry's private visit to his grandmother's burial site might have brought up the fond memories he shared with the former Queen and how it all ended last year. The former Head of the Commonwealth realms' official cause of death was announced weeks after her demise.

The first statement released by The Royal Family's official social media pages addressed the monarch's passing without revealing the cause of her death. The message read: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

However, the mystery was resolved on September 29, with the appearance of the 96-year-old's death certificate. The document noted that the longest-reigning of the British empire died of old age.

Additionally, an extract from the National Records of Scotland stated that she died at 3:10 PM local time on Thursday, September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. However, her death certificate had been issued on September 16.

Following her passing, there was a formal period of mourning in the country that ended on September 19. Tributes also poured in for Queen Elizabeth, with her oldest son, King Charles, penning an emotional statement about his "respect and deep affection" for the late monarch.