News of Queen Elizabeth II’s ill health prompted members of the royal family to rush to the Scottish Highlands to be at her side at Balmoral Castle.
In addition to the “senior royals,” including the Queen’s eldest son and heirs to the throne Prince Charles and Prince William, Prince Harry also flew to Scotland to be with his grandmother. According to the Duchess and Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle will be staying in London while she travels to Balmoral later.
Prince Harry’s attendance at his grandmother’s side, along with his brother and father comes amid a very public falling out between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family. A mere week ago New York magazine’s The CutPublished controversial interview with Meghan in which she spoke out against her experience as working royal. She also discussed how “toxic tabloid culture” strained the relationship between Prince Harry and his father, Prince Charles.
Harry and Meghan, who live in California, were already in the U.K. at the time of the announcement about the Queen’s health for a European trip to attend charity events that are “close to their hearts.” The couple had plans to make stops in Manchester, Dusseldorf and London but, according to U.K.’s Daily ExpressThey did not plan to see the Queen on their original trip.
The couple were due to attend the WellChild Awards in London this Thursday. According to the couple, Meghan is not going to attend the awards even though she’s staying in London. The last time Harry and Meghan were in the country was for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June. Their return to the U.K. comes days after the 25th anniversary of the death of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.
On Thursday, Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement on the Queen’s health saying that her doctors “are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.”
The Queen, 96, was sick with COVID-19 in February and has had to forgo several significant public appearances since then due to mobility issues and health concerns, including opening Parliament in May and the Platinum Jubilee celebration marking her 70th anniversary as the country’s monarch in June. Other confirmed members of the royal family have either already joined the Queen or plan to, including Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the rest of the Queen’s four children: Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
William’s wife, Kate Middleton, did not travel to Scotland and stayed behind at their home in Windsor, England—possibly to look after their three children.
Balmoral Castle is the royal family’s Scottish home in Aberdeenshire where the Queen typically stays from August through October. The Queen’s mobility issues prompted Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Lizz Truss both to travel to Balmoral. Over the Queen’s 70-year reign, she’s appointed each new Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace in London, until now. Johnson officially quit as Prime Minister after an audience with Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday. Just afterwards, Lizz Truss became the British prime minster when she performed the ceremonial transfer.
It has been over two years since Harry and Meghan took a break from the royal family. To avoid being subject to the same media scrutiny as their previous experiences, they decided to resign from all royal duties. The couple decided to quit their royal duties and move to California. Harry has maintained contact with her since then and keeps her up to date about their family’s lives.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the couple said in Jan. 2020.
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