Harry and Meghan made a swift exit out of the country just an hour before the royals made their final appearance at the Queen’s Jubilee.
The Sussexes, along with their two children, three-year-old Archie and one-year-old Lilibet, were already airborne as the Platinum Jubilee pageant commenced yesterday.
Reports suggest they were driven from Frogmore Cottage to Thornborough Airport before taking off at 1.30pm.
The estimated cost of their 10,000-mile round trip is around £160,000, although the entity covering the expenses remains undisclosed.
An insider revealed that the couple left discreetly without any grand gestures or public attention.
They chose not to stay for the Platinum Jubilee pageant, maintaining a low profile throughout the Queen’s four-day celebration.
Their limited public appearances included a moment captured at the Trooping the Colour event on Thursday, where they were seen hushing younger royals in the Major General’s office.
Despite attending a Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, sitting just 25 feet away from other senior royals, there was minimal interaction between Harry, his family members, and himself.
The Sussexes declined the opportunity to socialize with family members at the Guildhall and opted to return to Frogmore Cottage instead.
They also skipped the grand party at Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, where Prince Charles and Prince William received an enthusiastic reception for their speeches.
Despite their commitment to refrain from causing any disruptions during the Platinum Jubilee festivities, Harry and Meghan maintained a composed presence after flying in from Santa Barbara earlier in the week.
Yesterday, the couple hosted a garden party at their residence to celebrate Lilibet’s first birthday, attended by younger royals including Zara and Mike Tindall’s children.
The informal gathering featured picnic-style snacks, cake, balloons, and party games, with guests such as Archie’s godfather Charlie Van Staubenzee and his brother Tom in attendance.
Although the Queen had previously met Lilibet before her first birthday, there are no plans to release a photograph of the occasion to the public.
Upon their arrival from Santa Barbara, Harry and Meghan were discreetly escorted in a blacked-out VW People carrier by the Queensland Rover and bodyguards.
Their extensive entourage, usually accompanying them, remained in California, including the Netflix cameras that have attracted attention in the past.
A royal expert noted the deliberate seating arrangement at St Paul’s Cathedral, emphasizing the noticeable distance between Prince Harry and Prince William, attributing it to the fallout from the Sussexes’ controversial Oprah Winfrey interview.
The expert, Camilla Tominey, highlighted that the Sussexes’ decision to step back from public duties in 2020 has altered their status within the royal family, relegating them to a more peripheral role.
She underscored that the lack of interaction between the brothers during the Jubilee weekend was a consequence of the rift caused by the accusations of racism made during the Oprah interview.
This rift has led to a clear division between the working royals and those who have distanced themselves from official duties, placing Prince William and his family at the forefront of royal engagements.
