Prince Harry’s popularity in the UK has declined since he and Meghan walked away from royal life four years ago. However, there were plenty of people keen to see him as he arrived at St Paul’s Cathedral today for a service marking 10 years of the Invictus Games.
There were some loud cheers from those gathered outside the Cathedral when Harry arrived just before 5 p.m. The Prince waved as he walked up the steps alone and turned to give another wave before entering the building. The Service of Thanksgiving celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Games that Harry founded in 2014; the initiative has since been credited with transforming the lives of wounded and sick servicemen and women across the globe.
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Harry’s fleeting presence in the UK has been dominated by discussion around the fact he is not seeing his father or brother. Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have been silent on the subject but Harry’s team issued a telling statement yesterday saying that the Prince was unable to see his father due to the King’s commitments and he hopes to see him soon. At the same time as Harry attended the service in St Paul’s, the King and Queen were meeting guests at the first garden party of the season at Buckingham Palace.
Those who gathered outside the Cathedral today to catch a glimpse of the Prince appeared to be a mixture of people who had come down specifically for Harry’s appearance and those who had found themselves in the area and paused to see what was going on. There was also a strong media presence both inside and outside the Cathedral.
Lily Chan from Melbourne was there with her husband after they decided to come and catch a glimpse of the Prince while visiting their daughter in the UK. She described it as “very exciting” to see Harry, adding, “We sympathize with him. He is also part of the history of Lady Diana. We feel sorry for him. He seems to be an outcast now.”
The Prince will also soon be visiting Nigeria with Meghan. So far no details of their itinerary or plans in the country have been released but they are expected to be heading there soon.