Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were at the Platinum Jubilee for a good time, not a long time. The couple, who made their first appearance at a royal event in more than two years, attended some of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations but were back home in California before the event was over.
According to sources, the two celebrated a small birthday party for Lilibet on Saturday and jetted back to Montecito on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, their royal counterparts watched the Platinum Jubilee Pageant and parade from the Buckingham Palace balcony, which was the finale of a four-day celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s historic reign.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle end Platinum Jubilee early
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left the Platinum Jubilee early after participating in a limited capacity. Because the two famously stepped back from royal duties and left the country, they were not invited to stand on the balcony with Queen Elizabeth and other royals during events like the Trooping the Colour.
Harry and Meghan were booed after a church service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday. They did not appear to interact with Prince William or Duchess Kate Middleton during their short visit to the United Kingdom, and when inside, the two did not make eye contact or sit with the Cambridges.
Meghan and Harry, whose daughter Lilibet turned one on Saturday, jetted back to California before the event was over. Page Six reports that Meghan, Harry, and their two children left from Farnborough Airport on a private jet at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Before their early departure, the couple had a private birthday party for Lilibet, but Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George were not in attendance because they had Platinum Jubilee obligations. Harry’s cousin, Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall attended with her three children, Mia, 8, Lena, 3, and Lucas, 1. So did Peter Phillips’ daughters, Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s rocky road to the Platinum Jubilee
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s attendance at the Platinum Jubilee was up in the air. Harry only went back home twice since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, and Meghan did not return to Europe until April for Harry’s Invictus Games.
Harry and Meghan made an unexpected visit to Queen Elizabeth before the Games, and his attendance became more likely.
Promising news came the week before the Jubilee when a source shared that Harry and William were in frequent communication.
As more royal news trickles out, Monsters and Critics will provide updates on the royal rift and behind-the-scenes Platinum Jubilee drama.
It was not Harry and Meghan that were booed. It was Prime Minister Boris Alexander de Pfeffel Johnson, who was also booed on the way in to the cathedral, as was widely reported and shown in the UK press and on TV.
It wasn’t Harry and Meghan who overshadowed the Queen. It was her own great grandchild Louis who managed that. He is 4 years old so why didn’t the powers that be realize that perhaps he didn’t need to there for such a long time. He came across as a rather spoiled and petulant child and a little thought ahead of time might have spared him his meltdowns. It wasn’t cute or charming, it was a simple case of not putting the child first. How sad to use a four year old as publicity. But then that’s the House of Windsor for you,, dysfunctionally on display.