A resurfaced clip of Prince Harry getting cheered outside the cathedral where his parents got married went viral ahead of a planned new visit to Britain.
The Duke of Sussex traveled to London in May for a service of thanksgiving celebrating 10 years of the Invictus Games, his tournament for the injured and sick armed forces personnel, serving or veteran, at St Paul’s Cathedral.
It was the same venue where he was booed two years earlier at a similar service marking Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee. It is also where Princess Diana and King Charles married in 1981.
Prince Harry meets crowds during a walkabout after his Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, England, on May 8, 2024. The moment went newly viral on TikTok.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
The prince braved the possibility of being booed again but the public treated him somewhat better at his own event. So much so in fact that he managed a walkabout, shaking hands and chatting to fans.
The clip of the moment went viral on TikTok after it was shared with the message: “Wishing Prince Harry a Happy 40th Birthday.”
The post has received 110,000 likes and been viewed 1.2 million times. It earned replies such as “he’s like his Mum such a lovely Prince” or “Harry please come back to UK.”
The video also coincided with the announcement that Prince Harry would return to Britain for the WellChild Awards on September 30.
Royal watchers will want to see whether the duke meets his family, particularly his father King Charles who this year has been undergoing treatment for cancer.
Prince Harry last saw his father in February during a whistle stop tour of Britain following Charles’ diagnosis.
The king made roughly half an hour for his son in London but Harry did not join him at Sandringham, the royal family’s country estate in Norfolk, and headed straight home afterwards.
In May, the king not only swerved the Invictus Games service but did not see Harry privately either.
Prince Harry’s spokesperson said at the time: “In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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