Earlier this year, Prince Harry, who now lives in California with Meghan Markle and their two children, noted that security concerns were keeping them from visiting the UK. Those fears appear to have been allayed, at least enough to allow him and Markle to make a pit stop outside of London to meet up with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the couple's way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the Thursday visit at Windsor Castle to USA Today. Prince Charles was also said to have been in attendance, per Page Six.
TMZ reports that the couple's children, 2-year-old Archie and 10-month-old Lilibet, stayed behind in Los Angeles. Harry hasn't been back to England since last July, when he and his older brother, Prince William, unveiled a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace. He had also returned to the UK solo in April 2021 for the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip. For Markle, it's been even longer: She hasn't set foot on British soil since March 2020, per People. After their visit with the queen, who turns 96 next week, Harry and Meghan were set to head to The Hague for the Invictus Games, a global sporting event founded by the prince for injured service members and veterans. (More Prince Harry stories.)