Prince Harry today visited the late Queen Elizabeth II’s grave moments after touching down in Britain for his four-day visit – as Prince William and Catherine attended an engagement just seven miles away.

The Duke of Sussex arrived at Heathrow Airport this morning and was escorted straight to St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle, where he lay a wreath and flowers to mark the anniversary of his late grandmother who died on September 8 2022.

It meant he was just a 16-minute drive from Prince William, who is at an engagement for the late Queen in Sunningdale, Berkshire – as the estranged brothers were united in grief but still worlds apart.

In an unexpected turn, the Prince of Wales was joined by his wife, Catherine, who made a last-minute decision to support him at a Women’s Institute (WI) branch for the emotional third anniversary as she continues her return to royal duties.

Harry’s trip to the UK, which includes four days of engagements, will be his longest since he and Meghan visited in 2022 when Queen Elizabeth II died.

He has made the transatlantic trip on his own while Meghan stays in California with their children, Archie and Lilibet.

The duke was last in the UK in April when he lost his legal challenge over the level of security protection he receives from the Government while he is in Britain – after he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to California in 2020.

Harry was appealing a ruling dismissing his challenge to the level of police protection he receives in the UK – but Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos ruled the duke’s ‘sense of grievance’ did not ‘translate into a legal argument’.

Significantly, however, Harry was spotted being picked up at Heathrow by a serving Metropolitan Police officer from the Royalty and Specialist Protection Squad, suggesting he is receiving bespoke police protection in the UK.

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Prince Harry visited the late Queen Elizabeth II’s grave moments after touching down as he returned to Britain for the first time in five months today. He is pictured arriving at Windsor Castle

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The Prince and Princess of Wales at the National Federation of Women’s Institute (WI) in Sunningdale, Berkshire – just a 16-minute drive from Windsor Castle

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Queen Elizabeth II (L) and Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leave St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 18 2019. Harry paid his respects to her today

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Buckingham Palace is remaining tight-lipped on whether the King, who is currently at his Scottish residence in Birkhall, will meet his estranged son for the first time in 19 months

Buckingham Palace is remaining tight-lipped on whether the King, who is currently at his Scottish residence in Birkhall, will meet his estranged son for the first time in 19 months.

 

But recently there has been signs that the fractured relationship is easing and that a reconciliation could be within reach.

The father and son last met in February 2024, when Harry flew to the UK after it was announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.

Harry was earlier pictured arriving at Los Angeles International Airport in California wearing a casual black polo shirt and sunglasses. When he touched down in London, a Range Rover driven by a serving Met officer appeared to be escorting him out of Heathrow Airport this morning.

The duke was then whisked away to Windsor Castle, where he paid his private respects to Queen Elizabeth II at her final resting place at St George’s Chapel.

She was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, a small annex off the main chapel, alongside her husband, her parents and her sister.

Harry will later attend the WellChild Awards in London, a charity which supports youngsters affected by terminal and serious illness and their families.

He has been its patron for 17 years – even after stepping down as a working royal – and will present an award.

Prince William, who has taken a much firmer line on rekindling of relations with his brother, has official engagements elsewhere on every day of Harry’s visit.

The Prince of Wales is today attending a commemorative event for Queen Elizabeth II’s death anniversary in Sunningdale

He and the Princess of Wales attended the event which is just 7.4 miles from Windsor Castle – meaning William and Harry were just a 16 minute drive from one another today.

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The Duke of Sussex (seen at High Court in London in April) touched down at Heathrow Airport this morning, but Meghan has stayed in California with their children, Archie and Lilibet

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The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the National Federation of Women’s Institute (WI) in Sunningdale today. They are just 7.4 miles from Windsor Castle, where Harry paid his respects to the late Queen

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The Prince and Princess of Wales are welcomed by members during a visit to the National Federation of Women’s Institute

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William and Catherine laugh as they speak with members during their visit

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The Princess of Wales beams as she chats to members on the third anniversary of the Queen’s death

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Prince William , who has taken a much firmer line on rekindling of relations with his brother, has official engagements elsewhere on every day of Harry’s visit

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Prince Harry (in car) has returned to Britain for a solo visit with four days of engagements

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Kate joins William at engagement to commemorate third-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death

On Tuesday, Harry will visit the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham. His team says he will use the visit to announce a ‘substantial donation’ to charity Children in Need to support its work tackling violence impacting young people.

Harry has engagements on Wednesday and Thursday with other charities he is involved in, including the Invictus Games and the Diana Award.

Prince William and Catherine today visited a local WI branch in Sunningdale, to which the late Queen had a strong connection to.

Queen Elizabeth, who died at Balmoral Castle on September 8 2022, was a member of the WI for 80 years, joining in 1943 and serving as President of the Sandringham branch from 2003 until her death. She often attended a meeting in early January while staying in Norfolk for Christmas.

Originally only William had planned to attend the event to mark his ‘Granny’s’ passing, but sources said Catherine was keen to join her husband to commemorate and celebrate the beloved monarch.

The princess wore a black, grey and white tartan dress from Alessandra Rich – teamed with tonal heels – and warmly greeted members as her husband, dressed in a smart suit and tie, joked with the ladies about the amount of cake waiting for them.

The couple also chatted with support staff and trustees from across the Berkshire Federation of Women’s Institutes (BFWI) to hear about their work and the different opportunities its gives women.

Some of the women they were introduced to had met or interacted with the late Queen herself. William was, it is understood, particularly keen to hear their stories and the impact she had on the WI.

On Tuesday he will be in London visiting Spiral Skills, a youth organisation in Lambeth which has received funding from his Homewards campaign to tackle homelessness in six trial areas around the UK.

On Wednesday, William will visit a mental health hub at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

Today was Catherine’s third engagement in five days after she watched the Red Roses beat Australia 47-7 in their women’s World Cup match in Brighton on Saturday.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also visited the Natural History Museum in London on Thursday as they returned to duties after their summer break.

Kate, who studied art history at university and has been patron of the attraction since 2013, was seen with her newly blonde locks on display after spending a summer in the sun.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales are welcomed by member

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Catherine was beaming as she chatted to members and chose a slice of cake in Sunningdale

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The Princess of Wales was not expected to join but was keen to support her husband to mark the anniversary

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The Princess of Wales talks to members after making a surprise visit with Prince William

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The Prince and Princess of Wales choose a cake during their visit

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The Prince and Princess of Wales pose for a photo with two members of the WI

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The Princess of Wales also visited the Natural History Museum’s newly transformed gardens in London on Thursday, where she showed off her new hair style

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The Prince of Wales also showed a hint of tan during their day out in the capital following their traditional break, which was this year said to include a trip on their superyacht to Kefalonia, sailing around the Greek islands.

The King, meanwhile, has spent most of the summer at his Balmoral estate in Scotland, but is set to be in the capital mid-week for his cancer treatment.

Currently, there is no specified window for a meeting with Charles. However, The Mail on Sunday reported that should an invitation to meet be extended, Harry would drop everything to attend.

A source said: ‘A meeting with Charles is not off the table but the only people who would know about it are Clive Alderton [the King’s private secretary] and Charles and Harry.

‘If anything is planned, then he is keeping this extremely close to his chest. It certainly is part of his intention to see his father.

‘If it’s on Wednesday, then he would make it work.’