Prince Harry Returns to the UK for WellChild Awards, Snubs Royal Family Amidst Tensions and Memoir Fallout
Prince Harry arrives in the UK on the eve of the Queen's death anniversary, attending a children's charity event instead of meeting with the royal family amid ongoing tensions.
Prince Harry is set to arrive in the UK today on the eve of the first anniversary of the Queen's death, but will not be meeting with the royal family during his visit, according to reports. The Duke of Sussex, who is flying to London without his wife Meghan Markle, will instead attend an awards ceremony organized by WellChild, a children's charity that Harry has been a patron of for 15 years. The event, which will celebrate the resilience and achievements of seriously ill children and youngsters, will take place on Thursday evening. This news comes amidst ongoing tensions between Harry and the rest of the royal family, particularly after the release of his bombshell memoir earlier this year.
The strained relationships are evidently reflected in the fact that no members of the royal family, including King Charles and Prince William, will be meeting with Harry during his visit. The memoir revealed personal details about Harry's relationship with his brother William, including a physical altercation and arguments about Meghan. It also disclosed the last words he said to the Queen on her deathbed, expressing his hope that she would be reunited with her late husband Prince Philip.
While Charles and Camilla are reportedly in Balmoral, Scotland, privately marking the queen's death anniversary, Harry will be attending the WellChild Awards in London. The event will be live-streamed, but its specific location has not been disclosed. After his visit to London, Prince Harry will travel to Dusseldorf, Germany, for the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games on September 9. Meghan will not be joining him for the opening ceremony but is expected to fly out later in the week for the closing ceremony, where singer Rita Ora will perform. Both Harry and Meghan are scheduled to give speeches during the event.
The Invictus Games, initially launched by Harry in 2014, is a paralympic-style sporting competition for injured or ill service personnel and veterans. The idea for the tournament came to Harry after his visit to the US to watch the Warrior Games, further highlighting the importance of sport in a service member's recovery journey. In addition to his upcoming participation in the Invictus Games, Harry's new docuseries on Netflix, "Heart of Invictus," was released on August 30. The series follows a group of extraordinary competitors who have experienced life-changing injuries on their road to the Invictus Games.
In the series, Harry opens up about the trauma he experienced after returning from his final tour of service in Afghanistan and the lack of support he had during that time. This visit to the UK comes as a significant moment for Prince Harry, who pays tribute to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, during his speech at the WellChild Awards. Reflecting on the queen's passing a year ago, he acknowledges her support for his involvement in the event and emphasizes her love for the community that WellChild serves. While the royal family will not be gathering together to commemorate the anniversary of the queen's death, Prince Harry's presence at the WellChild Awards highlights his commitment to charitable work and his determination to maintain connections with causes close to his heart.