Prince Harry visited the grave of his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor shortly after arriving in the United Kingdom for a four-day visit on Monday.
The Duke of Sussex laid a wreath and flowers at the monarch’s final resting place, a visit that coincided with the third anniversary of the queen’s death on Sept. 8, 2022. Harry flew to Britain alone and was driven from the airport to Windsor after landing in London in the morning.
Harry’s trip is scheduled to include public engagements. He is due to attend the WellChild Awards on Monday night and will visit the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham on Tuesday, where he is expected to announce a donation to the Children in Need charity.
His wife, Meghan, and their two children remained in Montecito, California, the family said. Harry’s arrival marked his first extended stay in Britain since 2022 when he and Meghan attended the queen’s funeral.
British media reported that the duke was met at Heathrow by an officer from the Metropolitan Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection squad, suggesting specialist protection was provided for the visit despite Harry’s unsuccessful bid this year to regain taxpayer-funded security for his work in the UK. He had brought a legal challenge related to public protection earlier in the year.
The visit placed Harry just minutes from his estranged brother, the Prince of Wales, and sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who attended an official engagement in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to mark the anniversary. Royal residences are close by: Windsor Castle and Sunningdale are about seven miles apart, and palace movement put Harry roughly 16 minutes from William and Kate. Buckingham Palace and Clarence House did not immediately comment on the scheduling or any private meetings.
Some outlets reported that Harry was expected to hold talks with his father, King Charles, potentially their first in-person meeting in about 20 months. The palace did not confirm an agenda for any private family discussions.
The duke’s trip follows a pattern of brief visits to the United Kingdom for public duties and family matters since he and Meghan stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020. Harry founded the Invictus Games and remains involved in veteran and children’s charities; his schedule for this visit centers on charity work rather than ceremonial royal functions.
Officials and royal staff have increasingly been careful about confirming private family meetings or security arrangements, and the royal household has provided limited comment on the duke’s itinerary beyond noting his public engagements. The visit comes as the royal family continues to navigate public duties, private tensions and the legacy of the late sovereign three years after her death.