Why Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Did Not See Prince William in London

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a stop in London on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, but the visit reportedly did not include Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, secretly met up with the princes’ grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle, and a source told Us Weekly they brought the monarch an early present ahead of her 96th birthday on Thursday.

Harry opened up to the BBC about the visit, saying of the Invictus Games, "She had plenty of messages for Team U.K., which I have already passed on to most of them," adding, "So, it was great to see her. I’m sure she would love to be here if she could."

Harry and Meghan, who are the parents of Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 10 months, famously moved from the U.K. to California in March 2020 and stepped down as senior royals.

Despite the move, and the couple’s candid interview about the royal family with Oprah in March 2021, the Us Weekly insider says the Harry and Meghan’s visit with the Queen “was very civil and friendly.” The magazine also reports that Prince Charles made a brief appearance.

Another source tells the magazine that Prince William and Kate “were not in attendance” at the family reunion, explaining that William “just happened to be skiing when Harry and Meghan were at Windsor Castle.”

The insider insisted, “It was purely coincidental. Harry is coming back to visit soon and hopes to see William in person. They are trying to figure things out… Harry and Meghan had a wonderful time seeing the queen again. It was one of the biggest highlights of their year so far.”

The visit mentioned above might be the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

DailyMail.com reports Harry and Meghan are invited to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony, but will not take on a “formal role” in the festivities or take part in Trooping the Colour.

For now, Harry is focused on the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014. The Games are “an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.”

The prince recently opened up to People about hosting the event for the first time as a father.

"Being a dad certainly adds another emotional layer to it," Harry said. "When I was in the Army, I promised myself I would be out before having a wife and kids, because I couldn't imagine the heartache of being apart for so long during deployment, the risk of possibly getting injured, and the reality that my family's lives could be changed forever if that happened. Every member of the Invictus community has experienced varying degrees of these things. I have tremendous respect for what they and their families sacrifice in the name of service."

He also looked back at the 2017 Games, which marked his first public outing with now-wife Meghan. Harry said, "There is nowhere you can feel more embraced and supported than with the Invictus family. The Toronto Games were our first time out and about publicly in an official way. We were dating at the time, so it was a lot to take in, but fortunately, we were with the perfect community for that.”

He continued, "Now, five years later, here we are in The Hague at the fifth Invictus Games, as parents of two, and living in the US. I had always wanted to share these incredible moments with someone special, and to have Meg by my side means everything."

Harry was revealed some big news for daughter Lili, revealing she's just started walking!

"Her current priorities are trying to keep up with her brother; she took her first step just a few days ago!" Prince Harry, 37, tells PEOPLE in this week's exclusive cover story. "Proud papa, here."