Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Leave UK Before Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Finale

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to California with their children, after leaving the UK on a private jet before the grand finale of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee even began yesterday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children reportedly flew out of Farnborough Airport at 1.30pm yesterday, an hour before the Jubilee pageant started in central London.

It marked the end of their Jubilee, where they were left without any official role having quit as front-line royals in 2020.

One insider said, there was no fanfare, they just went.

They didn't stick around for the Platinum Jubilee pageant which is a celebration of Britain and all of its quirks and eccentricities over the Queen's 70-year reign.

At lunchtime yesterday the Montecito-based couple were reportedly driven from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, where they were staying since arriving in the UK on Wednesday.

And they were already crossing the Atlantic as Harry's grandmother, father, brother and nieces and nephews waved to the adoring crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace at the denouement of four days of wonderful celebrations marking the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

After they left, an estimated 18 million people also took part in Jubilee street parties yesterday, one of which was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in West London.

The Sussexes, who have been largely absent from the Jubilee fanfare, were last seen in public on Friday at the Thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, where they were booed and cheered as they arrived and left.

On Thursday, they were relegated to the Major General's office with minor royals for the Trooping the Colour, where they were photographed playfully shushing children.

Archie and Lilibet were not seen in public at all.

Instead, they spent most of their stay at Frogmore Cottage with their children and hosted a relaxed party for Lilibet's first birthday at the Windsor residence, believed to be attended by the one-year-old's British cousins.

The Sussexes arrived back in California at 6pm on Sunday.

Equipment that appeared to be a high chair was seen being offloaded from the plane.

Harry was then photographed in the passenger seat of a Black Range Rover that had arrived to transport the family home, and looked very serious after almost five days away from the US.

In other news, royal expert Daniela Elser questioned why a snap of one-year-old Lily meeting her namesake great-grandmother, 96, had not been released during the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Britain for the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

Ms Elser said the most obvious argument against sharing a picture was that it would have blown all other Jubilee coverage out of the water and overshadowed the Queen during the celebrations.

But Ms Elser insisted that rationale doesn't really hold water as Harry and Meghan, who have travelled from California, were always going to feature heavily in media coverage.

The columnist said, “My point is, in simply going back to the UK together, Harry and Meghan's very presence was always going to be something of a distraction so why not use it to Buckingham Palace's advantage?

I reckon courtiers and aides have really missed a trick here.

Imagine if we had seen this photo of the Queen and Lily, it would have been a powerful checkmate on the part of Her Majesty in the PR chess match which the Sussexes seem intent on playing with the Palace.”

The Queen was due to meet Lily, who celebrated her first birthday on Saturday, in person for the first time over the extended four-day weekend.

Journal biographer Omid Scobie speculated that Thursday was likely to have been the first moment or the first chance for her, the Queen, to meet her namesake.

There was also speculation the tot could be christened while in the UK.

Lilibet, born at 11.40am on Friday June 4, 2021 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, was named in honour of the Queen.

Harry and Meghan's daughter celebrated her first birthday while in Britain for the Bank Holiday Jubilee weekend.

The Royal Family Twitter account posted a balloon emoji and the message, wishing Lilibet a very happy first birthday.

Prince William and Kate, and Prince Charles and Camilla also took to Twitter to share birthday wishes.

Elsewhere, Meghan's hairdresser George Northwood opened up on Lily and her three-year-old brother Archie.

He wrote, “So nostalgic and wonderful to be reunited Harry, Meghan and their family in the UK.

Archie has grown to be the cutest, well-mannered little boy and Lilibet is just beautiful.”