Harry says he was ‘not invited’ on plane to Balmoral to see the late Queen before she died
9 January 2023, 08:00
Prince Harry has said he was not invited to join other members of the royal family on the same flight to Balmoral on the day that Queen Elizabeth II died.
The Duke made the revelation in an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 minutes last night as he promoted his upcoming book Spare, which is out on Tuesday.
Harry said he was in London last September when doctors announced they were ‘concerned’ about the Queen’s health.
He said he tried to speak to the Prince of Wales about his travel plans to Balmoral but ended up flying out by himself.
Harry said: “I asked my brother, I said 'what are your plans, how are you and Kate getting up there?'
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"And then a couple of hours later all of the family members that live in the Windsor and Ascot area were jumping on a plane together, a plane with 12, 14 maybe 16 seats."
"I was not invited".
By the time he got to Balmoral the Queen had died.
Describing when he got there, Harry said, "I walked into the hall, and my aunt was there to greet me.
"And she asked me if I wanted to see her. I thought about it for about five seconds, thinking, 'Is this a good idea?' And I was, like, 'You know what? You can do this. You need to say goodbye.' So went upstairs, took my jacket off and walked in and just spent some time with her alone."
"She was in her bedroom," Harry continued. "I was actually — I was really happy for her. Because she'd finished life. She'd completed life, and her husband was waiting for her. And the two of them are buried together."
In further comments in a separate interview with Tom Bradby on ITV, Harry accused the royal family of a 'horrible reaction' on day Queen died
Speaking about the day of the Queen's death, the duke said: "The day that she died was just a really, really horrible reaction from my family members."
Harry spoke of how his family was "on the back foot" when the late monarch died in September, and told the presenter he witnessed "leaking and planting".
He said his father, the King, blamed himself for his son's struggles, telling him: "I should have got you the help you needed years ago."
He says his "Pa" was "never made" for single parenthood but had tried, and told Bradby he will "always love" his father.
Speaking about his relationship with his brother, the Prince of Wales, and his father, the King in the CBS interview, Harry said he is currently "not texting" William, and that he has not spoken to his father for "quite a while".
"Do you speak to William now, do you text?" Anderson Cooper asked him.
"Currently, no, but I look forward to us being able to find peace," Harry replied.
Asked how long it had been since he had spoken to Charles, he said: "We haven't spoken for quite a while, no, not recently."
Questioned on what his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, would think of his fractured relationship with his brother, Harry said: "I think she [Princess Diana] would be sad that it is where it is now.
"I believe that she would want reconciliation. And I hope that's what's achievable."
When asked if he could see himself returning as a full-time member of the royal family, Harry replied: "I can't see that happening."
