Prince Harry Travels to Balmoral Alone Following Queen Elizabeth’s Death

The royal family is mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 96.

Prince Harry was unable to make it to Balmoral Castle in time to see his grandmother before she passed, but he did travel there alone to join his family in mourning.

However, his wife, Meghan Markle, was not invited to join them.

According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, an invitation was not extended to Meghan to join the family at the estate.

While she has said she will go to Balmoral another time, it is significant that Prince Harry travelled there alone without her.

Harry and Meghan were scheduled to attend the Wellchild Awards in London, but cancelled their appearance following the news of Queen Elizabeth's declining health.

The Duke of Sussex embarked on a plane from London to Scotland alone, landing shortly after the news of the Queen's death was made public.

He arrived at the castle just before 8pm, around an hour and half after the public announcement, to join his father, brother and other mourners.

The Queen's son, King Charles III, his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Princess Anne were all already in Scotland for prior engagements.

Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Sussex, all arrived in Scotland earlier in the day.

It has not been confirmed which, if any, family members were with the Queen at the time of her death.

Kate Middleton did not join her husband as she was seen in Windsor, picking up her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, from school.

William and Kate, who are now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall, were seen a day earlier attending a school event with their children.

As the immediate members of the family have gathered, the photos of them arriving at the castle confirm their moods.

Nicholl says, “I think the pictures that we saw of family members arriving at Balmoral really said it all.

This is a family in mourning now, and of course, the Queen was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother.”

Twitter users expressed their condolences for the Queen, but some also criticized Harry and Meghan for their absence and speculated that they would use the opportunity to attract media attention.

One user tweeted, “No one mentioned it, but everyone knows that Harry Meghan will use this opportunity to attract media.”

Despite the criticism, the focus remains on the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and the mourning of her family.

King Charles III made the family's first public statement, saying, “‘The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.'”

The Queen's death marks the end of an era for the royal family and for the United Kingdom.

She will be remembered as a beloved monarch who exhibited grace, patience, respect, honor and true leadership to her country who adores her.