Denied: Harry and Meghan hoped to hitch a ride on Air Force One with Biden
Heather Hunter
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reportedly asked the Biden administration for permission to fly back from the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden aboard Air Force One, and the request was rejected.
The couple had been visiting the United Kingdom at the time the queen died in September 2022 and stayed in mid-September for the funeral.
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The duke and duchess were not allowed to attend the pre-funeral reception at Buckingham Palace, where world leaders, including the Bidens, attended to greet King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The request to catch a ride on Air Force One was reportedly a “non-starter” and “would have strained relations with the Palace and the new King.”
The invite was not the only reported invitation from the duke and duchess to the Bidens last year.
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Before the presidency, the Bidens had attended the 2017 Invictus Games in Canada with former President Barack Obama and Harry.
The couple allegedly invited the first lady to the Invictus Games in The Hague last year in hopes of catching a ride on Air Force One. The administration worried that Jill Biden’s attendance would have offended the royal family. The Biden administration had Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg lead a delegation to the Invictus Games in April last year instead of the first lady.