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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Barney Davis

Prince Harry spotted leaving Balmoral alone after death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II

Prince Harry was spotted leaving Balmoral alone after he rushed to be at his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s bedside before she passed away.

The Duke of Sussex was captured sitting alone in the back of a blacked-out Range Rover in a security convoy as he was the first to leave the Scottish estate where the Queen died Thursday.

Prince Harry was unable make it to his grandmother’s side before she died.

A vehicle carrying Britain's Prince Harry leaves Balmoral Castle, following the passing of Britain's Queen Elizabeth (REUTERS)

He had been due to make a speech at the WellChild Awards in London on Thursday night but cancelled the appearance before catching an emergency flight to Aberdeen.

He is now expected to head back to Windsor to be with his wife Meghan, who stayed behind to look after their children Archie and Lilibet.

Harry landed at Heathrow where he comforted an airport worker with a hand on her shoulder after she gave expressed her sympathies for the death of the Queen.

Harry lands at Heathrow (REUTERS)

It came as it was revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, is now technically a prince.

His younger sister, Lilibet “Lili” Mountbatten-Windsor, is also entitled to be a princess following the death of the Queen and with her grandfather, the Prince of Wales, becoming King.

The rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lili – as the children of a son of a sovereign – also now have an HRH style if they choose to use it.

If Harry and Meghan decide that Archie and Lili will be known as a prince and a princess, this will stand in direct contrast to how Harry has always spoken about the burden of having a title.

He repeatedly stressed the importance of wanting to be seen as normal and confessed in 2017 that he once “wanted out” of the royal family – a wish that became a reality in 2020.

The former soldier said the time he spent in the Army, when he was “just Harry”, was “the best escape I’ve ever had” and he had considered giving up his title.

Royal author Penny Junor said: “He would have dearly liked to have been a normal boy growing up, and found his title very difficult.”

The nation will hear from its new head of state, King Charles III, the day after the passing of the longest reigning monarch in British history.

King Charles III at Aberdeen Airport as he travels to London (PA)

The King and Camilla, now the Queen Consort, remained at Balmoral on Thursday night before flying back to London this afternoon where he is expected to meet with new Prime Minister Liz Truss and address the nation.

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