The British royal family and their supporters are shocked: King Charles III. (75) suffers from cancer. Even the hardened fronts between her and her youngest son Prince Harry, 39, are showing signs of disintegration. Shortly after King Charles' cancer diagnosis was announced, Harry headed back to his former home. However, his stay there was short-lived. After only 24 hours in the UK, Harry continued his journey back home. Yesterday afternoon, the Duke of Sussex was seen leaving for Heathrow Airport, just a day after being taken to his father's Clarence House with a police escort. The meeting between father and son lasted only 45 minutes, and Harry did not see his brother Prince William, 41, at all.
Harry's quick visit reportedly cost over €34,000 – so an unnecessary trip? No, the second born had an important reason for not remaining in London.
Prince Harry traveled alone to see King Charles – Duchess Meghan did not come with him to London
The gap between Prince Harry and his father Charles seems almost unbridgeable. However, when the world learned about the British king's cancer, Harry did not think twice and rushed to England to be with his father. He spared no expense either. The 39-year-old could have spent more than £18,000 on the plane tickets alone – not including security and other transport costs.
According to liveandletsfly, Prince Harry reportedly flew to London not on one of his friend's private jets, but on a scheduled flight like everyone else – well, not quite like everyone else, he didn't miss a flight. luxury expenses. When the Duke of Sussex left his home in Santa Barbara on Monday, he was taken not only to LAX in Los Angeles, but to PS LAX. This VIP terminal shields guests from the public and includes chauffeur service directly during boarding. A membership to stay there costs just under $5,000 a year. If you are not a member, a one-time stay with services is $1,095 per person.
At around 18:00, boarding began for the delayed British Airways flight 269 to London Heathrow (LHR). The flight took off at 18:48 with Prince Harry on board. It is not clear what class the Duke of Sussex was flying in, but previous commercial flights have included first class seats. A quick search on the airline's website reveals that a one-way flight in first class alone cost £8,624.
About 10 hours later, at 12:43 p.m., 13 minutes late, BA280 landed at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Here, too, Harry was welcomed into a VIP suite and driven to his father's place in a black Land Rover with a security fleet.
Instead of staying with relatives, Harry slept in a hotel
After the brief meeting, Harry headed to a luxury hotel in London, according to the Daily Mail – but which one is unknown. The Sussexes have not had an official residence in England since last summer – after three years in their new home in California, Harry and Meghan finally had to move out of their British home in Windsor, Frogmore Cottage. Since the argument between him and his brother became so intense that they did not see each other during the short trip, staying at their home did not work out. So Harry had to seek shelter in a hotel. If you look at prices at hotels such as the Ritz, the Peninsula or the Goring Hotel, where Harry was spotted with his wife Duchess Meghan, 42, in 2020, you can expect to pay more than £1,000 for a standard room for one night. However, if you treat yourself to a suite that includes breakfast and free international calls, you can quickly reach almost £9,000 – the equivalent of €10,500.
The return flight just 24 hours later also came with a price: £8,868. The Sun claims to have learned that Harry also rented a VIP suite at Heathrow Airport on his way home to protect himself from the paparazzi. But even at an hourly rate of around €1,870, the so-called Windsor suite couldn't stop him from taking pictures while waiting for a private shuttle. Photographs obtained by the Mirror show Harry smiling in jeans and a T-shirt, with a personal staff member wearing a top hat.
About 35,000 euros a day with the family
If you add up all the costs, the result is £29,400, which equates to around €34,434. Security, food, transportation and other expenses are not included here. One wonders why Prince Harry is willing to pay all these costs for a conversation lasting less than an hour. Wasn't video calling enough in the days of Skype and Co.? Especially considering that he hadn't even gone to the effort of planning to meet other family members. It might have been possible to stay here in England for a few days – and try to reconcile in person.
Pauline Maclaran, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Studies at Royal Holloway University Management School, wants to know why Harry was with his father for such a short time – and why it was right. In an interview with the Daily Express USA when Harry arrived in the UK on Tuesday, she explained: “I imagine he won't be staying long for a number of reasons. First, Harry wants to return to his family, but if he were to extend his visit, people would to worry about the seriousness of Charles' diagnosis.” With a brief meeting, he shows his concern for his father – without spreading rumors about the severity of the cancer. “At the moment, people are hopeful because the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the king's cancer was detected early.” .