Prince Harry urged Buckingham Palace to delay the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II’s death so he could be present with the Royal Family when the news was made public, an author has claimed
In his book Endgame, Omid Scobie states that the late Queen’s death, which was officially announced at 6:30 p.m. on September 8, 2022, was initially planned to be released earlier.
However, Harry reportedly requested a postponement, hoping to arrive at Balmoral before the announcement.
Despite his efforts, stormy weather delayed his flight, and Harry received news of his grandmother’s death through a breaking news alert shortly after landing.
Although the Palace reportedly agreed to wait, they ultimately decided to proceed once all family members were informed. A spokesperson later clarified that the public was notified only after the Royal Family had been updated.
The Prince’s plane was forced to circle the airport before landing due to stormy weather, reports the Express.
The extract reads: “When Harry’s plane finally touched tarmac twenty minutes later, he received a text from Meghan urging him to call ASAP followed by a breaking news alert via the BBC News app with the announcement of the Queen’s death.”
A spokesperson for the King said in a statement: “The public was only informed after every family member had been informed.” The newspaper also quoted a source saying that the King was “adamant” that all members of ‘the Firm’ had to be informed of the monarch’s death before the palace broke the news.
The Duke of Sussex had been scheduled to attend a charity award ceremony in London on September 8, but he cancelled his plans to travel to Balmoral to be with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, during her final moments.
Following her demise, Prince Harry and Prince William, accompanied by their wives Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, came together to view the floral tributes left outside Windsor Castle. This was the first public appearance of the two couples together since the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service in June 2022.
Prince Harry and Prince William were last seen publicly together in August 2023 at a memorial service for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes.
Earlier in 2023, Harry visited the UK on separate occasions: in February to meet with his father, King Charles, and in May for the Invictus Games, an event celebrating injured and ill military veterans.