Watch the moment Prince Harry goes on a surprise walkabout after his Invictus Games event to joke with a fan on her honeymoon.
The Duke of Sussex left St Paul’s Cathedral, following an event to celebrate ten years of the charity, to greet members of the public before being escorted to his car.
The crowd, very much supporting King Charles’ youngest son at his event, shouted ‘we love you Harry’, as the smiling Royal can be heard jovially responding to a woman who said she was here for her honeymoon by saying: ‘You didn’t get married in St Paul’s, though?’
Inside the event he was greeted by members of his late mother’s family and was seen on camera warmly embracing both of them, however no other royals attended the ceremony, owing to ‘busy schedules’.
The late Princess of Wales’ younger brother Earl Spencer and elder sister Lady Jane Fellowes walked in side-by-side to St Paul’s before chatting to their now US-based nephew.
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His wife, Meghan Markle however is believed to have made the decision not to join her husband in the UK over fears of a poor reception.
Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty also joined the group, dressed in a military-style green coat with gold buttons, where she was joined by Minister of State for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer.
Other stars within the crowd included former Olympic champion triple jumper Jonathan Edwards.
Prince Harry’s spokesperson had claimed on Tuesday the King had been too busy to see his youngest son during his fleeting visit to the UK. Last night, however, Palace sources suggested no formal requests for a meeting had been made.
King Charles, who was invited to attend the service in central London, held the first garden party of the season at Buckingham Palace.
The monarch was joined by Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for the first of the summer festivities.
The only senior royals missing were the Prince and Princess of Wales. William was handing out awards in Windsor, while Kate is still undergoing treatment for cancer.
Despite well-documented tensions with the Windsors, Prince Harry has remained close to his mother’s family over the years – particularly Lady Jane.
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Lady Jane, the middle of the three sisters, four years older than Diana, has long been seen as a confidante and a steadying influence in his life.
She was asked to give a reading during Harry’s wedding to Meghan in 2018 and was one of the first members to be invited to meet their infant son Archie – even before Prince William.
Throughout his bombshell memoir Spare, he gave a ‘stand out thanks’ to Lady Jane, her elder sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer but failed to mention the late Queen, King Charles or his brother.
It is therefore little surprise that two of the siblings turned out at yesterday’s ceremony to give support to Diana’s youngest child.
As well as his aunt and uncle, Harry was surrounded by a number of dignitaries, politicians and close friends.
His lawyer David Sherbourne was in attendance while former army officer Mark Dyer – who helped mentor Harry particularly after his mother’s death – was also in the congregation.
Prince Harry is expected to fly back to the US today.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
