Inside Prince Harry's 26-hour aerial visit to see Charles that lasted less than an hour

Prince Harry flew home to Los Angeles after a 26-hour visit to the UK in which he met his father for less than an hour following his shocking cancer diagnosis.

The Duke of Sussex spent almost as much time in the air as he did in England, in what was his first visit to his homeland since September.

The long journey from the United States took Harry more than 10 hours, but his meeting with King Charles at Clarence House in London lasted less than an hour. Different newspaper reports say that the meeting at the royal residence lasted only 30 or 45 minutes.

There were hopes that the 39-year-old's visit from California would help repair damaged relations between him, his father and his brother, the Prince of Wales, but these hopes were soon dashed when it became clear that he would not see William during the trip. . .

Charles had personally called Harry and William, as well as their siblings Anne, the Duke of York and the Duke of Edinburgh, to share his health news before the Palace announced it publicly to the nation at 6pm on Monday.

Less than a day after the news broke, Harry was seen arriving at a private terminal at LAX in his black Range Rover on Monday afternoon, Los Angeles time.

His wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, remained in California, where they have lived since they stopped being royals in 2020.

Harry's flight took off shortly before 7pm Los Angeles time, and the Duke flew more than 5,000 miles over the Atlantic before landing at Heathrow Airport around 12:30pm on Tuesday. He was taken directly to see his father at his London residence and arrived at Clarence House at 2.45pm, where the couple had a brief meeting.

Clarence House is Charles and Camilla's much-loved London base after the couple moved there in 2003. The residence, built between 1825 and 1827 to designs by John Nash, is the former home of the king's grandmother, the Queen Mother.

But it appears there was nowhere for Harry to stay, with reports that the King's youngest son was booked into an undisclosed hotel in London rather than a royal residence.

Less than an hour after Harry arrived at Clarence House, Charles and Queen Camilla were photographed being driven to Buckingham Palace, where a helicopter believed to be carrying the couple took off from the roof and took them to their Sandringham home in Norfolk, without Harry.

Harry's next sighting came when he was spotted at Heathrow Airport around 1.30pm on Wednesday, just over a day after landing.

While it has not been confirmed which flight he boarded, British Airways Flight 269 was due to take off at approximately 3:05 pm and arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 6:30 pm local time on the same day.

In total, the duke will have spent around 21 hours in the air during his spectacular transatlantic journey. A direct return first class flight from LAX to Heathrow currently costs around £8,250 and, according to a carbon footprint calculator, the emissions from his trip would have amounted to around 14 tonnes. ,

Harry has not made any statements or public appearances since his father's diagnosis was announced.

He last came to the UK five months ago, when he attended a WellChild awards event, but it is believed he did not spend any time with his father or brother and again stayed in a hotel. The last time she came face to face with the King was during the Coronation last May, although she made a quick exit to return to the United States to celebrate her son Archie's fourth birthday.

Harry's stay in a London hotel during this most recent trip, rather than any of the many royal residences available, suggests that the relationship between the duke and his UK-based family remains strained.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left Frogmore Cottage in Windsor last year, leaving them without a base in the UK and now reportedly need a formal invitation to be able to stay with the royals at a “protected property”.

The prince has been highly critical of his family since he left for the United States, both in interviews and in his autobiography Spare.

However, it has been suggested that the reason behind the brevity of the reunion between father and son may be more practical, given Charles' condition.

appearing in Good morning Great Britain On Wednesday, the royal editor of the Sunday Times, Roya Nikkhah, said: “The king was very tired after the procedure he had undergone the previous day.

“I'm sure Harry would have loved to spend more time with him, but he's probably quite respectful of his father during his treatment.”

Harry's brother William returned to royal duties on Wednesday, while his brother was still in the country. The Prince of Wales held an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in the morning and then in the evening, once Harry flew home, he attended a gala event alongside Tom Cruise.

People close to Harry say he would have liked the chance to reunite with his brother, and one told him online mail: “The Duke's main reason for traveling to the United Kingdom is to visit his father. “If the opportunity arose to see the Prince of Wales, the Duke would have gladly taken it.”