Yesterday was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday. The left-behind Windsors gathered in London, first for a memorial service at the British Museum, then a reception at Buckingham Palace. The Prince and Princess of Wales didn’t even bother attending the memorial service, but they gurned and grumped their way through the reception. At one point, I wondered “did anyone think to extend an invitation to Prince Harry for the services for his grandmother?” Silly question, I know. Of course not. But that didn’t stop Harry from marking the occasion in a quiet, lovely way:
Senior members of the British royal family gathered in London today to celebrate what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday, but across the pond in Montecito, California, Prince Harry is spending the day in private.
However, Town & Country can confirm that the Duke of Sussex sent flowers to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle today, where Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest in September 2022. The late Queen is buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel alongside her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; her husband, Prince Philip; and her sister, Princess Margaret.
This is not his first time having flowers brought to her burial site; he has had them both sent and hand-delivered them on multiple prior occasions. In 2023, on the one year anniversary of her death, Prince Harry visited St. George’s Chapel privately during a visit to the UK, and in 2025, while back in the country, he also paid his respects at his late grandmother’s grave on the third anniversary of her death.
Upon Queen Elizabeth’s passing in September 2022, Prince Harry wrote in a tribute, “I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings—from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren. I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over.”
While Harry never specified this in his memoir, I got the impression that, when he lived in the UK, he visited his mother’s grave more often than his brother too. I also thought it was so moving when Harry stopped by QEII’s memorial chapel/tomb in 2023. I remember the outrage about it too, the left-behinds tried to act like he was stealing focus from THEIR mourning-keenery. Once again, Harry outshines them with simple, dignified, respectful acts. On Tuesday, the Windsors were making horses’ asses out of themselves to send out a message to an audience of two: Harry and Meghan. The message was “we don’t need you, we’ll honor and exploit QEII’s memory all on our own!” Oh well.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- 18/05/2019. Windsor , United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leaving the Lady Gabriella Windsor wedding at St.George’s Chapel, Windsor, United Kingdom.,Image: 506549457, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Harry and Meghan attend the Mountbatten Festival of Music, which Harry will attend-for the final time-in his capacity as Captain-General of the Royal Marines. The concert, held at the Royal Albert Hall, features the Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and showcases their musical skill and pageantry.,Image: 563882274, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: PA ROTA / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696653379, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- USA Rights Only – London, UK -20190517- Wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com -42955152.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 18 May 2019 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com **USA Rights Only**
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- Service of Thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Featuring: Prince Harry Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 03 Jun 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR NORTH AMERICA**
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- NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE – London, UK -20220603- Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen, marking the monarch’s 70 year Platinum Jubilee, at St Paul`s Cathedral -PICTURED: Prince Harry Duke of Sussex -PHOTO by: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com -51631543.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Prince Harry Duke of Sussex Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 03 Jun 2022 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- North America Rights Only, London, England – 20220603- National Service of Thanksgiving On Day Two Of The Platinum Jubilee Celebrations -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com -67258925 Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing Featuring: Prince Harry Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 03 Jun 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only**
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- Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a group photo at the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London. The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, now in its fourth and final year, celebrates the achievements of young people from across the Commonwealth working to improve the lives of people across a diverse range of issues including supporting people living with mental health problems, access to education, promoting gender equality, food scarcity and climate change .
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- MANDATORY CREDIT: Chris Allerton – copyright SussexRoyal NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER FRIDAY JUNE 7, 2019, WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. This photograph is provided to you strictly on condition that these conditions and restrictions will apply (and that you will pass these on) to any organisation to whom you supply it. There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photographs (including by way of example only) any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-news editorial use. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. All other requests for use should be directed to the Buckingham Palace Press Office in writing. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, as they show their new son, born Monday and named as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.
Well Done Harry!
That’s a nice gesture on his part and done without pomp and circumstance.
Lovely gesture
I’m always curious about who personally delivers the flowers. A sweet gesture.
Prince Harry is a good man.
Very thoughtful. I suspect that Harry regularly sends flowers to his mother’s grave and perhaps visits it every time he’s in the UK.
Thoughtful, respectful and a lovely way for him to remember and cherish her and nobody can take that away from him!
🥹 What a thoughtful, sensitive man, and that tribute,oh my gosh! 🥹
I can’t help but remember that he had written a letter to his mother that was on her coffin at her funeral.