Prince Harry is back in California after catching a British Airways flight hours after the end of his father’s historic coronation.
The Duke of Sussex arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at around 7.30pm local time on Saturday (3:30am UK time) to be reunited with his son on his birthday.
Prince Archie turned four on Saturday and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their US home.
British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss the details of his trip.
The duke’s appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he made claims about his family in his controversial memoir Spare.
He was seated in the third row for the crowning of King Charles alongside Prince Andrew, who stepped away from public life after a disastrous Newsnight interview in November 2019 in which he discussed his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Harry and Andrew were sat two rows behind Prince William.
Harry chatted to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church on Saturday in the drizzling UK rain.
He also nodded and smiled to guests as he processed behind them, walking down the nave of the abbey alone.
It is understood the duke wore what he was asked to wear, which consisted of a dark morning suit and tie, his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals pinned to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration.
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(Left from right) Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Peter Phillips, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Zara Tindall, Princess Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank, Mike Tindall and Prince Harry
During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the King, Harry was seen, along with the other royals around him, speaking the words: “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever.”
His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the finale of the day, with the palace confirming earlier that he had no formal role at the event.
The Prince’s representatives are understood to be at pains to be clear what that means – that he was not invited to attend.
Prince Andrew was also absent from the balcony.
