The protocols surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s passing and subsequent state funeral had been meticulously orchestrated for decades under the name Operation London Bridge. This extensive plan detailed every conceivable scenario tied to her death.
Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle formally stepped back from royal duties in early 2020, they had still made preparations for the moment they would say goodbye to the Queen. As revealed in a royal biography, the couple had initially intended to visit the Queen’s bedside together when her time came.
But when Her Majesty passed away unexpectedly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, only Prince Harry made the trip to be with the Royal Family.
At the time, Harry and Meghan were already in the United Kingdom for a series of charitable engagements. Despite this, Meghan did not accompany Harry to Scotland. According to a spokesperson, the original plan was for both of them to visit the Queen, but Meghan’s absence was later attributed to a last-minute change.
Reportedly, King Charles—then still Prince of Wales—personally requested that Meghan remain behind to help reduce potential tensions, with the understanding that Kate Middleton would do the same.
However, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman in his book Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story, it wasn’t Charles who asked Kate to stay. Instead, she chose to remain in Windsor to support Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who were starting their first day at Lambrook School.
Kate’s decision provided an unexpected solution to a sensitive issue. Her absence became a convenient explanation, which reportedly helped soothe Harry after learning Meghan would not be traveling to Balmoral.
At the time, Charles was under the impression that the Queen had days, rather than hours, left. His intention was to bring the family together in her final moments and avoid any distractions from longstanding tensions.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry reflected on the situation, noting that knowing Kate wasn’t attending made Meghan’s absence more understandable and helped ease his frustration.