Inside Archie’s fourth birthday at Harry and Meghan’s £11million California home
Prince Harry spent just over 28 hours in the UK to witness the coronation of his father King Charles before rushing back to California for his son Archie’s fourth birthday party with Meghan’s homemade lemon cake and celebrity guests.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, was seen slipping out of Westminster Abbey straight after the service and heading straight for Heathrow Airport, in a darkened electric BMW, where he was escorted to the VIP Windsor Suite.
Sources claim Meghan decided to hold the celebrations at the couple’s £11 million home in Montecito, California, because she felt it wouldn’t be authentic to do anything else.
Archie had a “private party” with a lemon tart baked by the Duchess of Sussex using fruit from their garden, a source close to the couple said.
The father-of-two reportedly skipped a post-coronation lunch at Buckingham Palace after the service, as sources said he was “always determined to be back in time to spend part of Archie’s birthday at home.”
Sources close to the Sussexes confirmed that Archie (pictured) had a “private party” on his birthday at the couple’s mansion in Montecito, California, and a lemon cake baked by the Duchess of Sussex with fruit from their garden
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, seen arriving at the Windsor Suite in a police convoy before departing on a British Airways flight from LHR to LAX
Harry’s security drove his Range Rover an hour and a half to the exclusive Private Suites hanger at LAX
Archie’s grandmother Doria Ragland is said to have attended Archie’s birthday party, as well as Meghan’s close friend, makeup mogul Victoria Jackson, 65.
When asked if any of the partygoers included celebrity neighbors like Oprah Winfrey, a source said, “Some of their friends are celebrities, so yeah, that’s likely. It will be a small, intimate gathering.’
Her estranged father Thomas Markle, 78, told the MoS he believed “it was best” for the Duchess to stay home. “There are too many differences between Meghan, Harry and the Royals,” he added.
Mr. Markle stayed up all night to watch the ceremony on TV at his home in Rosarito, Mexico. “It was wonderful to see the good people of Britain welcome their new king and queen,” he said.
Royal fans shared birthday messages for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie (pictured) as he turned four
Archie is pictured with his parents and grandmother, Doria Ragland, living at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor
The Duke of Sussex, 38, was pictured at London Heathrow, beaming as he hurried to board the plane while holding his phone and some documents.
Prince Harry left his father’s coronation in no time today and was picked up at Westminster Abbey by a car that immediately left London and was spotted at Heathrow Airport.
The king’s son beamed when he got into a black vehicle immediately after the historic event this afternoon. The same car was then escorted out of the capital by a police motorcade in the direction of Heathrow.
A few hours earlier, he was seen nodding awkwardly to other guests as he endured a solo walk down the aisle to take a seat next to his cousins in the third row before his father and now Queen Camilla arrived.
During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the king, Harry, along with the other members of the royal family around him, were seen uttering the words: ‘God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the king live forever.’
Harry appeared to bow his head as the newly anointed king passed him on his way out of the abbey – though much of his true reaction was blocked by a feather on Princess Anne’s hat.
The mother-of-two apparently made a smash cake with strawberries and whipped cream while Prince Harry decorated their house with balloons to celebrate his first birthday (pictured), a source told People magazine at the time.
Prince Harry seen at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of his father, King Charles III
But he returned to California after catching a British Airways flight from London Heathrow Airport within hours of the coronation ending.
His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the day’s final, with Buckingham Palace previously confirming he had no formal role in the event.
The Duke of Sussex was reported to have boarded the plane at 3:45 p.m. from Heathrow Airport, landing in Los Angeles at 6:55 p.m. local time.
The drive to Montecito from Los Angeles Airport takes approximately 90 minutes. The source said: “Harry was determined to get back in time to put Archie to bed.”
British Airways flight attendants confirmed that Harry was on the flight, but said they were not allowed to discuss the details of his journey.
The prince had not been seen for more than 24 hours after his arrival and accommodation plans remained shrouded in secrecy – before it emerged that he had flown to the UK on a commercial American Airlines flight Friday morning.