Prince Harry is understandably having a tough time with the death of his beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth since he never got to say goodbye.
A source shared with Us Weekly on Friday that the royal family — especially Harry — are “struggling” to wrap their mind around the loss of Elizabeth. They explained to the outlet:
“The royals knew Elizabeth’s end was near, but mentally, she was as sharp as ever right until it was her time to go. All of the royals are struggling to come to terms with the devastating news.”
Related: What Will Happen To Queen Elizabeth’s Beloved Corgis??
For the Duke of Sussex, the insider noted that he is heartbroken that he did not arrive at Balmoral Castle in Scotland until after his grandmother had already passed away on Thursday. As we previously reported, the 37-year-old prince and his wife, Meghan Markle, were in London at the time in order to attend the WellChild Awards. But when news broke that doctors were “concerned” about Her Majesty’s health, many family members rushed to Scotland to be by her side – except for Meghan and Princess Catherine AKA Kate Middleton. Harry sadly arrived hours later in the area and was still in the air when Buckingham Palace announced the devastating news of her death.
Incredibly sad…
Now, the source told Us that the father of two feels a ton of guilt over not getting to see Elizabeth one last time:
“Harry is guilt-stricken — full of sorrow and regret about not saying goodbye to the queen. They met up a couple of times during the Platinum Jubilee, but he by no means expected it to be the last time he saw her.”
They added:
“He loved his grandmother with all his heart and is going through a terrible time right now. The news hasn’t fully sunk in.”
Although Harry has had a strained relationship with his family ever since he and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals, the former military pilot still had a close relationship with his grandma. The couple even made a surprise pit stop to visit her before going to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games in April. However, the last time he saw Queen Elizabeth was in June when he took a trip to England for the Platinum Jubilee with Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
While the late monarch had to cancel several appearances at the Jubilee at the time, sources claimed to the outlet at the time she had been grateful to meet her great-granddaughter for the first time and spend more time with Harry and Archie:
“After reluctantly pulling out of Party at the Palace, spending time with her great-grandchildren and seeing Lilibet turn 1 added some light to her day. She thinks they’re adorable and gave Lili and Archie gifts.”
While Harry has not publicly spoken about his grandmother’s death, his and Meghan’s Archewell foundation paid tribute to Elizabeth on the website, saying alongside the dates 1926 to 2022:
“In Loving Memory of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
It’s no doubt a difficult time for Harry and the rest of the royals right now. We’re continuing to send them our love as they mourn Elizabeth.
[Image via Euan Cherry/WENN, MEGA/WENN]
