LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s Prince Harry said he made sure that Queen Elizabeth had the “right people around her” and was “protected” when he met the British monarch during a rare visit to Europe last week and that he hoped security issues are resolved so he can return.
Harry and his wife Meghan met the queen at Windsor Castle on their first trip to Britain since quitting royal duties in March 2020 and after an Oprah Winfrey interview with the couple last year sent shockwaves through the royal family.
“Being with her, it was great,” Harry said in an interview with U.S. media outlet NBC News’ Today programme during the Invictus Games in the Hague.
“I’m just making sure that she’s, you know, protected and got the right people around her,” he said. “You know, home — home for me, now, is …for the time being, in the States.”
Harry, Meghan and their two young children live in California. Harry had returned to Britain for his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral a year ago, but did not attend a recent memorial service due to a dispute with the government over security.
Harry has challenged a UK government decision to deny him protection even if he covers the cost, which could keep him from attending Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations from June 2-5.
He told NBC he wanted to attend the event, but: “There’s a lot of things, with security issues and everything else.”
Resolving the issue would also make it possible to return to Britain with his children, he added.
Queen Elizabeth, who turns 96 on Thursday, has largely avoided the spotlight after spending a night in hospital in October for an unspecified ailment and being ordered to rest. She tested positive for COVID in February.
While continuing to hold meetings online, she has missed several large events, such as the Remembrance Sunday gathering and Easter service.
“It was just so nice to see her,” Harry said. “She’s on great form. “She’s always got a great sense of humour with me.”
(Reporting by Kate Holton; additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; editing by William James and Bernadette Baum)
