Meghan And Harry Reportedly Arrived In The UK In An Unexpected Fashion
Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth II share a special relationship. He opened up about his secret visit with his grandmother to Hoda Kotb on "The Today Show" and gushed about how special it was to be with his grandmother again during his visit ahead of the Invictus Games in April. "Being with her, it was great," he said. "It was just so nice to see her ... She's on great form."
Though the two share a close relationship, it was up in the air if Harry and his wife Meghan Markle would make the trek to the United Kingdom for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. After their shocking interview with Oprah Winfrey, all eyes were on the now-distant royals and whether they would be celebrating the queen's special milestone.
In fact, the couple will be attending the celebrations and are bringing along their two children Archie and Lilibet as well (via the Independent). Before they could attend any events celebrating the queen, they already found their names in the headlines. The reasoning? Their travel accommodations for their trip across the pond.
The couple didn't fly to the UK on their private jet
Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee consists of a series of events celebrating 70 years of service from the iconic matriarch (via CNN). The celebration will have several events, some of which are accessible to the public, like a parade for her birthday and the first-ever Corgi Grand National. The latter honors the queen's love for the adorable breed (per The National News UK).
Before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could attend any of the events, they already made headlines with their interesting choice in travel accommodations to the U.K. for the celebration. According to Page Six, the royal couple chose not to travel from Los Angeles to London on their private jet.
The outlet was exclusively told that the couple chose to fly commercial rather than charter their private plane. They arrived in London on a commercial plane with a few staffers and their children, the source shared. Their time abroad will be a big deal for the family, as Queen Elizabeth has never met Harry and Meghan's newest addition, their daughter Lilibet.
Meghan and Harry were heavily criticized for their private jet usage
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were likely looking to make a statement by opting not to charter their own private plane. As The Irish Sun reported at the time, the celebrity couple were branded hypocrites after using private jets to fly across the states to attend climate action conference Global Citizen Live. The event decried the global elite for their extensive carbon emissions, and urged them to do better. As royal author Penny Junor reasoned, "I'm sure there were plenty of scheduled flights" that could've taken the Sussexes from their California home to New York and back. Moreover, Junor pointed out that both Prince William and Prince Charles openly take regular flights rather than chartering private planes.
"This totally muddies the waters of their climate message. They are shooting themselves in the foot by taking private flights," she explained. The couple's friend, Sir Elton John, who performed at Global Citizen Live, clarified on Twitter that he provided them with his own private jet. John also noted, "To support Prince Harry's commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint."
Moreover, at a subsequent appearance in Amsterdam, the prince confirmed he typically spends "99 percent of my life traveling the world by commercial," per Grazia Daily. Harry reasoned private jets are simply safer sometimes.
The Sussexes will not join the queen for Trooping the Colour
Once Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's presence at the queen's Platinum Jubilee was confirmed, fans began to speculate about just how involved the Sussexes would be in the celebratory weekend. As The Guardian notes, it was quickly reported that they would not be permitted to join Her Majesty on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour, her annual birthday event. The reasoning behind this decision was that Meghan and Harry, alongside disgraced son Prince Andrew, are no longer working royals.
However, the celebrity couple are expected to attend plenty of other events over the long weekend, including a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral. Regardless, the Sussexes' spokesperson confirmed, "Prince Harry and Meghan are excited and honored to attend the queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children." Per Express, an overwhelming majority of British people supported the queen's decision not to have them on the balcony with her.
However, according to The Sun, Omid Scobie, the couple's biographer and close friend, claimed that they didn't want to be up there in the first place. The Sussexes felt it would be "inappropriate" since they defected from the royal family, and Harry had reportedly even "spoken with his grandmother about the possibility of not attending Trooping the Color long before" the press announced it.