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Prince Harry is paying his own special tribute to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, visited the burial place of the late Queen at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor to pay his respects privately and lay a wreath of flowers, three years after the history-making monarch died, a spokesperson for the duke confirmed to PEOPLE.
Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96. She was laid to rest beside her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, during a private burial service at the King George VI Memorial Chapel within the Windsor Castle grounds on Sept. 19 following her state funeral and committal service.
On that solemn day three years ago, Queen Elizabeth joined her parents, King George VI, who died in 1952, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who died in 2002, as well as her sister, Princess Margaret, who also died in 2002, who are all interred in the tiny chapel within St. George’s.
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St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, is a special place for Harry as his wedding to Meghan Markle, 44, took place there in May 2018. Harry also visited his grandmother’s resting place in 2023.
Prince Harry and Meghan, who have resided in California since shortly after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, were scheduled to attend the WellChild Awards in the U.K. in 2022 when doctors announced their “concerns” for Queen Elizabeth’s health. Harry traveled to Scotland upon learning the news, and the couple extended their stay in the U.K. to attend her funeral events.
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Prince Harry arrived in the U.K. early on Sept. 8 ahead of a series of visits with his charities this week. He is traveling without Meghan or their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
His first engagement is at the annual awards for WellChild. The charity, which Harry has been a patron of since 2007, is holding its celebration evening honoring young people who live with challenging and life-limiting conditions and marking the contributions of those who look after them, from parents to nursing staff and carers.
Prince Harry will make a speech and hand out one of the prizes.
The Duke of Sussex is expected to be in the U.K. for a few days, leading to speculation that he might also use the time to meet with his father, King Charles, for the first time in more than 18 months.
Due to their estrangement, made worse by a legal battle Harry was fighting over the removal of his official security in the U.K., Prince Harry has not seen his father in person since February 2024, soon after the King revealed he was being treated for an undisclosed cancer. When Harry returned to the U.K. in May 2024 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games and that September for last year’s WellChild Awards, he and his father also did not meet up.
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Prince Harry returned to London in April this year to attend court amid the appeal to restore his security, a battle which he ultimately ended up losing. Relations are strained, too, with his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate Middleton.
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But Prince Harry has made no secret of his desire for a reunion with his family, telling BBC News in May that he “would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.” Hopes were raised for a rapprochement between Harry and his father in July when aides of Harry and the King met for the first time in London.
