Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘Won’t Stick Around’ Following Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral

Homeward bound. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are heading back to the United States following Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service, a source exclusively tells In Touch. 

“Meghan and Harry won’t stick around after the queen’s funeral and plan to return to California. Obviously, they were unprepared to remain in the U.K. for this long,” the insider says.

“It’s been an emotional and heartbreaking week — but, naturally, they’re looking forward to getting back to Lilibet and Archie,” the insider continues. “This is the longest amount of time they’ve ever been apart from their kids in one go.”

Meghan, 41, and Harry, 38, mourned the death of the late queen with the rest of the royal family members like Princess Kate (née Middleton) and Prince William at several events in the weeks since she passed. However, the Duchess of Sussex was absent when Harry traveled to Balmoral before she died on September 8 at age 96.

“Meghan felt it would be wrong to go to Balmoral given her history with the royal family,” a second source told In Touch exclusively shortly after the queen’s passing. “It was direct family only, and she is unwelcome there.”

The actress later joined the Duke of Sussex while visiting public tributes of the queen outside Windsor Castle two days later. The pair were accompanied by William, 40, and Kate, 40, as they embraced mourning U.K. residents who surrounded the property. Fans shared their condolences by lying beautiful flowers, personalized cards and balloons on the floor, which the royals took the time to admire.

However, the first source claims that the four did not spend quality time with one another outside of the public eye. “The Royals have put on a united front for the funeral and the Queen’s passing has brought them closer together, but aside from being seen in public together Harry, William, Kate and Meghan have not spent any alone time as a foursome. They’ve communicated about logistics but that’s about it,” the insider says.

After making the rare public appearance with his royal family, Harry shared a touching tribute to the Queen and her 70 years in power, while reflecting on her “unwavering grace” in a statement released via his and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation website.

“I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” he wrote on Monday, September 1. “I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III.”