Biden Denied Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Request To Fly On Air Force After Queen’s Funeral

After Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle requested to fly back to the U.S. with President Joe Biden on Air Force One but were denied by the White House. The reason cited was that Biden’s staff thought it might not be appropriate or would upset some members of the Royal Family due to the controversy surrounding the couple. 

If the Sussexes were allowed to fly on the plane, another issue would have been who would pay for their ride. The Bidens are allowed to invite whomever they want onto the plane, but the White House only pays for official trips. Typically, when Biden’s children or grandchildren travel on the plane, the president pays for it personally.

Additionally, months before this First Lady Jill Biden was invited to attend the Invictus Games, created by Prince Harry, in the Netherlands. The games are sporting events for wounded soldiers or veterans. Although she wanted to go, she did not attend the event, as there were concerns over how the Royal Family would perceive her presence. Instead, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, represented the U.S. at the games this year. 

Jill did attend the Invictus Games in 2016 with Harry and again in 2017 with former President Barack Obama and Harry. 

Both of these initiatives, the request and invitation, are thought to be a part of a campaign that the Sussexes have created in order to gain influence in the U.S. They currently reside in California. 

The Bidens and the Sussexes have worked together in the past such as co-hosting a Zoom event during the Covid-19 pandemic for wounded warrior athletes. 

The couple has had a strained relationship with the palace and Harry’s family for years. This has been seen in the interview with Oprah Winfrey when they openly criticized the family. Harry’s memoir Spare and their Netflix docuseries also were merciless toward the Royal Family.

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The tension between the two and the family has been noticeable. Before Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial service, there was a pre-funeral reception held at Buckingham Palace. Allegedly, the couple was disinvited by the palace, while world leaders, including the Bidens and other royals, were invited. 

At King Charles‘ coronation, Markle was noticeably missing, and Harry was not allowed to be on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the rest of his family. He did not speak to his brother, Prince William, at all and sat two rows behind him during the ceremony.