Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to California ‘to be with their children’ after the Queen’s funeral

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to California, following the nation’s 10-day period of mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left their U.S home days prior to The Queen’s death for the One Young World Summit in Manchester, where Meghan spoke on Monday 5 September.

Harry was also expected to speak at an awards ceremony in London that week, but cancelled his appearance and headed to Balmoral in Scotland amid concerns over his grandmother’s health.

Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8 September, Harry and Meghan have stayed in the United Kingdom.

They have been carrying out royal duties, including the lying-in-state and processions to move the coffin. They also attended Her Majesty’s state funeral on Monday, where they sat on the second row.

The pair, who stepped back from their senior royal roles in March 2020, have been eager to travel home to their children, three-year-old Archie and one-year-old Lilibet.

According to Hello! the Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew out of London Heathrow on Tuesday, after the longest amount of time that they have been apart from their children.

Prince Harry paid tribute to his late grandmother on their Archewell Foundation website.

He wrote: “In celebrating the life of my grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen—and in mourning her loss—we are all reminded of the guiding compass she was to so many in her commitment to service and duty.”

The Duke of Sussex also included a quote from his grandmother, which she said after the passing of her husband Prince Philip. It read: “Life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.”

He continued the tribute: “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.

“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.”

He finished by thanking Her Majesty for her commitment to service, sound advice and infectious smile.

Harry and Meghan kept their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but due to stepping back as senior royals, they lost the honour of being addressed as His and Her Royal Highness.

However, Prince Harry was forbidden from wearing his military uniform to his grandmother’s funeral, despite having served 10-years in the British Army.

He and his uncle, Prince Andrew were made to wear casual suit attire like other funeral guests.

Prince Andrew served in the Royal Navy for 22-years but recently lost his patronage and titles due to his association with sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.