Prince Harry Photographed At Los Angeles Airport As He Boards Flight To London

Jun 25, 2021

Prince Harry was photographed driving to LAX Airport on June 24, 2021 evening boarding a flight to London to attend the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana. This will be his first trip back home since Prince Philip's funeral. The unveiling of Diana's statue is set to take place on July 1, 2021, the day that Diana would have turned 60 years old.

Though royal fans have been excited for this even since it was first announced in 2017, the Daily Mail reported that both Harry and Prince William have drastically scaled it back. With Diana's statue, the hope is to remind Kensington Palace visitors of Princess Diana's life and legacy with the statue.

William and Harry have worked hard to preserve their mother's legacy both symbolically but also throughout their own charity work as parts of the royal family. Both brothers have taken carried on Princess Diana's legacy in terms of being outspoken about mental health.

However, both brothers have taken drastically different paths in their life; while William has stuck to his duty, Harry took the unconventional path and left behind his role as a senior royal, opting instead for a life in the United States with his wife Meghan Markle. His controversial decision, however, has led to a major rift in the family, which has been covered thoroughly in the media. 

With the unveiling date coming up very soon, royal fans are wondering how Harry's meeting with his family will go after the bombshell interviews he has given over the last few months.

The official unveiling of the statue on July 1 will be Prince Harry's first time seeing his family since Prince Philip's funeral in mid-April. An official "Sussex source" revealed to Harper's Bazaar that Meghan Markle won't be joining her husband for the event and will focus on caring for the couple's infant daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor at their Montecito home instead. 

There have currently been tensions between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family due to their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, followed by their role in the Apple+ Docuseries "The Me You Can't See." Despite the Sussexes' estrangement with the rest of the royal family, when it comes to newborn members of the monarchy, it seems there is no animosity. While appearing with Jill Biden at an engagement at the G-7 Summit in Cornwall, England, Kate Middleton was asked about her new niece. According to Harper's Bazaar, the duchess of Cambridge responded:

"I can't wait to meet her. We haven't met her yet. I hope that will be soon."

Unfortunately, it won't be as soon as July 1, but we're sure it won't be too long before young Lilibet makes the trip over the pond to visit her royal family, especially her namesake, the queen.  

When Harry arrives in the UK, it is believed that he may self isolate at Frogmore Cottage, which used to be his and Meghan's official residence when they lived in the UK. Currently, Princess Eugenie lives there with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their newborn son August. A source told the Daily Mail, "The cottage is now literally split into two, meaning Harry can isolate in one half of the house without ever coming into contact with his cousin and her family."

Harry's arrival in the UK in July 2021 has already caused some concern as to how the family will spend time together. The Mirror reported that Kate will help her husband William and his brother Harry put on a united front for the occasion. Previously, she had played an integral role in keeping the peace between the brothers at Philip's funeral. She is expected to continue this role for the statue unveiling as well. 

A royal source told The Mirror, "The Duchess has seen this project evolve from its conception and now to the finished article and undoubtedly wants to be there to support her husband." They also added, "No doubt there will be tensions between the Cambridges and Harry, but they all recognise that despite the obvious and deep-rooted issues between them, they want the day to be solely about the Princess of Wales’s enduring legacy."

Metro UK reported that Harry does not have plans to meet his brother or his father when he arrives in the UK. Harry is expected to be in quarantine for five days after he arrives in the UK, and Charles is expected to be on a trip to Scotland by the time Harry leaves quarantine. 

A source told the Sun, "Charles will leave the boys to it. Harry will need to quarantine for at least five days when he lands in England, most likely at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Charles has made it quite clear he will not be around beyond that because he is going to Scotland. There is no planned meeting between the three of them."

Do you think that Kate will act as a peacemaker when the brother reunites in July 2021? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to ask your friends about it as well.