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Topics: Australia, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Plane Etiquette, World News, Royal Family
Ella Scott
Topics: Australia, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Plane Etiquette, World News, Royal Family
A first-class plane passenger has recalled how Harry, Duke of Sussex, comforted her following the heartbreaking death of her relative.
Last week, Justine Parkhurst, an Australian woman, was heading back to California on board an American Airlines flight after attending her grandmother’s funeral.
The plane took off last Saturday (18 April) from Sydney to Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina and reportedly had Prince Harry, 41, on board.
According to the Daily Mail, the Aussie was shocked that her seat had been upgraded to first class, and that when she arrived in the cabin, she realised she had been sat next to the royal.
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“I sat down and a few tears started to roll down my face, I'm always happy to get the upgrade for that long flight but I wished I had not been on the plane at all,” she wrote in a Facebook post, as per the publication.
“I didn't even notice the person sitting next to me until they were adjusting the seat and getting comfortable. It was Prince Harry.”
Parkhurst, who strapped in for the 15-hour flight of the Boeing 777-300ER after changing plans, said that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was also on the plane, as were the pair’s bodyguards.
The grieving woman claimed that she started chatting to the father-of-two and told him about her grief.
“We chatted for a minute and I told him that my Nan is the only one I really wanted to tell about sitting next to the royal,” she explained.
“He said, ‘She already knows’. I believe he is right, I bet she arranged the whole thing.
“We were booked to fly on the Friday but changed our minds and decided to wait one more day and made the change late Thursday night.”
In a comment to the outlet, Parkhurst added that Harry and Meghan Markle, 44, were both ‘very nice’ and that they had been ‘sweet to everyone and each other’.
To memorialise their meeting, Parkhurst allegedly asked Harry for a selfie, with the Prince complying.
Tyla has contacted Justine Parkhurst for comment.
Harry and Meghan recently wrapped up a four-day visit to Australia - their first since their official royal tour of the continent in 2018.
The pair, who stepped down as working royals in 2020, visited Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra to meet with veterans and put the spotlight on mental health and community resilience.
A visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne also took place, and they sailed around Sydney Harbour with Invictus Australia, as per People Magazine.
Their visit to Sydney’s Bodi Beach went viral, with the couple speaking to volunteer first responders who were on the scene at the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December.
In a clip shared to social media, Harry and Meghan could be seen making their way down the beach with the press.
However, one sunbather was seemingly unbothered, opting not to join the crown and continuing to lie on her towl.
As the throng of people passed her, it appeared as if some were stepping over her.
Even Harry himself appeared to notice and pointed at the woman while laughing.