The Queen’s doctors expressed concern for her health on September 8, 2022, and her family hurried to her side in Balmoral, including Prince Harry, who just so happened to be in the UK with Meghan Markle for a number of events to promote charities. However, Queen Elizabeth passed away prior to his arrival.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry admits his family did not inform him of the development. He had to find out online.
“When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: ‘Call me when you get this,'” Harry reportedly writes. “I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King.”
He promptly arrived at Balmoral to join the other royals, and he stayed in the UK to take part in the recognized days of mourning.
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings—from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” Prince Harry said in a tribute to his grandmother in September, referencing the Queen’s words: “Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.”
He concluded,”I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III. Thank you for your commitment to service. Thank you for your sound advice. Thank you for your infectious smile. We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”