Prince Harry chose to miss Queen Elizabeth II's 95th birthday on Wednesday to fly back to Los Angeles to be with his pregnant wife, Meghan Markle.
The Duke of Sussex arrived at Los Angeles International Airport shortly after 1.30 p.m. Tuesday, The Sun reported. Harry was reportedly on "a tight schedule," which is why he was so quick to return home from London after Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday.
The queen's birthday falls within the two-week period of royal mourning, which will be observed until Friday. A private, low-key event has been planned at Windsor Castle to mark the occasion this year.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was one of many people who sent best wishes to the monarch.
"I would like to send my warm wishes to Her Majesty The Queen on her 95th birthday," he tweeted. "I have always had the highest admiration for Her Majesty and her service to this country and the Commonwealth. I am proud to serve as her Prime Minister."
While certainly a cause to celebrate, the day is tinged with sadness in wake of Philip's death on April 9 at the age of 99. His death came a few months before his 100th birthday, which was due to be the focus of royal celebrations this year.
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the queen said: "While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world," according to NBC News.
"My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life."
The queen celebrates two birthdays. The first is the day she was born in April and the second being her official one in June. Each year this event is celebrated with the Trooping the Color ceremony, but the tradition was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is also custom for the bells of Westminster Abbey, where the Queen was crowned, to ring on her birthday but they were also silenced along with the gun salutes.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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