Prince Harry was asked if he was 'happy to be home' — here's what he said

The jury's out

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation speaks with Pikemen and Musketeers during The Invictus Games Foundation Conversation titled "Realising a Global Community" at the Honourable Artillery Company on May 07, 2024 in London, England. The event marks 10 years since the inaugural Invictus Games in London 2014
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry is back in the UK for a few days, but as to whether he's happy to be here, it's unclear at best.

On his way out of an event and into a car on Tuesday in London, the Duke of Sussex was asked by a reporter: "Are you happy to be home?"

But the Duke simply answered: "Hello!" When the reporter repeated the question, he — wait for it — chuckled, and then gave a very oblique answer, saying: "Nice to see you!"

So while Harry didn't say he was unhappy to be home, it certainly doesn't seem like he's thrilled about it.

The US-based royal is back in his native country to attend an event at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday evening, which will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Invictus Games — founded by Harry in 2014.

As to the reasons why the Duke might not be completely delighted to be back, his relationships with his family including King Charles and Prince William have left much to be desired since his departure from royal life in 2020.

Just as we thought Harry was making some headway with his father Charles, the King ended up informing his youngest son that his diary was too full to accommodate a meeting with him on this visit.

A spokesperson for Harry said: "In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program.

"The Duke, of course, is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."

Despite this conciliatory statement, various royal experts insist the move was a "snub" on the King's part.

A second blow came after this one for Harry, as on the very same day he landed in London, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince William would officially become the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a regiment in which Harry formerly served, as reported by the Independent.

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Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.