Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Returned to the U.K.—and Just Paid a Special Visit to Queen Elizabeth

Two years after relocating to the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a trip back across the pond. Their first stop? Windsor Castle, where they reunited with Queen Elizabeth. The visit comes as the couple makes their way to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women.

The visit marks the Duchess of Sussex's first time returning to Europe sine she and Prince Harry completed their final round of royal responsibilities; they took a step back from royal life and moved to Meghan's home state of California in 2020. According to a report by People, the Duke of Sussex has returned to the U.K. on two different occasions: first, for his grandfather Prince Phillip's funeral, and second, to unveil a statue of his late mother Princess Diana with his brother Prince William.

Now that the pair has visited with the monarch, they are officially on their way to this year's Invictus Games, which were originally scheduled for 2020, but delayed due to the pandemic. A 10-year veteran, Prince Harry founded the games in 2014. This year will mark his fifth time attending the event, which will take place in the Dutch city of The Hague.

It was initially unclear whether or not Meghan would make the trip with her husband, but a spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed on Monday that she is in fact joining Prince Harry for the first several days of the event. This isn't her first time attending the Invictus Games, however. In 2017, she accompanied the Duke of Sussex at the Toronto Games—their first official appearance as a couple. She also visited the 2018 Sydney Games just after the duo announced they were expecting their first child.