Prince Harry has landed back in California after trip that saw him ‘privately meet the Queen twice’

The Prince made the journey to the UK for his grandfather’s funeral on Saturday 17 April

Prince Harry has now returned to his home in California after spending nine days in the UK to attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.

The Duke of Sussex arrived at the home he shares with Meghan Markle and their son, Archie, in Montecito earlier this week, it was confirmed to The Independent, after paying his respects to his grandfather.

Harry’s visit was famously the first time he had seen his family in person after the sensational interview he and Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey in March, in which they criticised the royal family.

Now Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, has reported in Harpers Bazaarthat a source close to Harry says during the trip he met with the Queen in private on two separate occasions before returning to Santa Barbara.

“This trip was to honour the life of his grandfather and support his grandmother and relatives,” the source told the magazine. “It was very much a family-focused period of time.”

However, reports of peace talks during his visit are allegedly not accurate. “Saturday broke the ice for future conversations but outstanding issues have not been addressed at any great length. The family simply put their issues to one side to focus on what mattered.”

While in the UK, Prince Harry resided at Frogmore Cottage, the house where he previously lived with Meghan before their move to the US in 2020.

During his stay, he saw a number of family members, including Princess Eugenie and her newborn son, after following government isolation guidelines.

It is believed that Prince Harry will return to the UK again this summer for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana, where he will join his brother for a ceremony rescheduled from 2020 at Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden.

Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s first daughter, was not given medical clearance to travel to the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral so watched the service from home.

It is currently unknown whether she will return to the UK with Prince Harry, although her due date is expected to fall in the summer, so this may not be possible.

The couple confirmed they were expecting a girl during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in early March, but did not share further details about when Meghan was due to give birth.