Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ‘snubbed’ by Joe Biden after Queen’s funeral
The LA-based royals were left red-faced after Joe Biden reportedly turned down their request to catch a ride on Air Force One after the Queen’s funeral.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly wanted to fly back to the US on Air Force One after the Queen’s funeral – but the request was denied by the White House in case it caused a “commotion”, according to reports.
It’s not the first time the Bidens have snubbed the Sussexes; months earlier, First Lady Jill Biden was also invited to attend Prince Harry’s Invictus Games – but she declined reportedly amid concerns it would cause issues for the Bidens with the royal family.
The Sussexes have reportedly tried to gain political influence in the US as they settled into life in California.
Ms Markle, in particular, has sought to gain a political stronghold in her home country, publicly advocating for paid family leave to Washington politians, and worked behind the scenes to connect with the Bidens.
The couple who famously lashed out at the royal family in an interview with Oprah Winfrey had a tense relationshipwith the royals when the Queen died last September.
The couple were in the UK for charity engagements when the Queen died and stayed in the country until her funeral on September 19.
In the lead-up to the funeral, the Sussexes were sensationally disinvited from a pre-funeral reception at Buckingham Palace, where King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed foreign royals and world leaders, including the Bidens.
Buckingham Palace described the reception as “for working members of the royal family”. Harry and Meghan were said to have been left ‘baffled’ by that decision.
During this time, according to the Daily Mail, the Sussexes’ camp contacted the White House to ask if the couple could get a ride back to the United States on Air Force One.
But, according to the Daily Mail, it was an immediate no.
According to the Daily Mail, sources with knowledge of the decision said there was barely any discussion on the issue, just a general agreement that the request was a “non-starter”.
“It would have caused such a commotion. It would have strained relations with the Palace and the new King,” another source told the outlet.
FRIEND BLASTS ‘RIFT’ RUMOURS
Meanwhile, a friend of Ms Markle and Prince Harry has denied reports the couple are “taking time apart” amid claims the Duke of Sussex “doesn’t fit” in California.
Claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are giving each other space have been swiftly denied by an unnamed friend of the couple, reports The Sun.
It was claimed that Prince Harry is hoping to “find himself” – but a friend of the couple told the New York Post: “It’s not true, it’s literally made up.”
RadarOnline had reported the pair needed space to heal and repair their relationship after a string of business disappointments and an ongoing rift with the royal family.
But there is no suggestion that the claims about the couple taking time apart are true.
The pair married at Windsor in 2018, before sensationally quitting the royal family and moving to Canada in early 2020.
Ultimately, the couple, who have two children, landed in the celebrity enclave of Montecito in California where their neighbours include Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
Ms Markle has barely returned to the UK since the couple left but Prince Harry has visited for his father’s coronation and to appear in court.
It comes after The Sun reported that Prince Harry had been keen to return to the UK and that he had reached out to his estranged brother, Prince William.
Sources said there was a “willingness and wanting to mend on both sides” between Prince Harry and King Charles.
Prince Harry’s initial efforts came in the wake of his controversial memoir Spare, in which he launched a personal attack on Queen Camilla.
This was always seen as a red line that Prince Harry should never have crossed — and may explain the King’s reluctance to speak with him.
Tellingly, King Charles could not find time to meet Prince Harry in March when he returned to London for a High Court case.
But royal sources said that Prince Harry has made it clear he wants to spend quality time with his family.
Senior royal sources claim there was no “transatlantic ping pong”, but it is understood the Duke has indicated he missed the UK.
Speaking to during an interview to publicise his memoir Spare, Prince Harry said: “I want a family, not an institution.”
He also claimed he wanted his father and brother “back”.
Originally published as Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ‘snubbed’ by Joe Biden after Queen’s funeral
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