On Friday, September 8, Prince Harry unexpectedly visited Queen Elizabeth II’s grave at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on the one-year anniversary of her death. 

This visit came shortly before Prince William and Kate were scheduled to attend a memorial service for the late queen at the same location. 

Photos of Prince Harry leaving the chapel surfaced on social media moments before the service began.

While the chapel is open to the public, Harry’s sudden appearance was unanticipated. 

Prince William had a pre-arranged event in Wales, about 230 miles away. This planned event started soon after the pictures of Harry at the chapel started circulating online.

This surprise visit is the latest in a series of events highlighting the tension between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family. 

A spokesperson for the King chose not to comment. Instead, palace sources emphasized that royal family members have visited the chapel privately and individually to pay their respects. They hinted that the King saw no issues with Prince Harry’s visit.

Presently, Prince Harry resides in California with Meghan, his wife, but is currently in the U.K. for some charity functions. 

The night before his visit to the chapel, he attended the WellChild Awards in London. He mentioned his absence from the previous year’s awards due to his grandmother’s passing. He shared that Queen Elizabeth would have wanted him to attend such events and believed she’d be happy to see everyone coming together to highlight the community’s efforts.

The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry has been strained since Harry’s decision to step back from royal duties. 

The tension increased after the release of Harry’s memoir, “Spare.” In the book, Harry discusses some disagreements with William and shares personal details about Kate, William’s wife.