Prince Harry didn’t get to see his grandmother before she died despite being in the UK

The tragic news of Queen Elizabeth II's death was announced earlier today (8 September), and while King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and Prince William made it to the monarch’s bedside, Prince Harry is thought to have arrived after Her Majesty passed away.

Taking to Twitter hours after Her Majesty’s death was confirmed, Chris Ship, ITV’s Royal Editor, tweeted: “Very sad for Prince Harry that - despite being in the UK - he didn’t get to see his grandmother, The Queen, before she passed away.”

Ship added: “They were very close and he spoke to her often despite his decision to leave the Royal Family.”

It was confirmed before the news of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth’s death broke that Harry would be travelling to Balmoral to visit his grandmother, and that he would not be joined by his wife Meghan Markle.

Members of the royal family were summoned to the castle to be with the Queen after doctors said they were concerned for her health.

The Sussexes recently arrived in Europe to visit some of the charities they work with and had been due to attend a WellChild event in London this evening before Harry was called away to Balmoral.

It was quickly confirmed that Meghan would stay in London, as would Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, whose children recently returned to school.

Covering Balmoral in the wake of the Queen’s death, the BBC noted that Harry arrived by car on the castle’s grounds after it was confirmed his grandma had passed away. 

The royal family announced on Thursday that the Queen had died in a Twitter statement, and soon after, Buckingham Palace confirmed the news, writing: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow.”

It was dated: ‘Thursday, 8th September 2022’.

King Charles also shared a heartbreaking statement that read: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all my family members.

“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.

“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.”