Meghan Markle made a secret appearance on British soil this Monday, travelling through London as part of her journey home from Switzerland to California.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, had attended the World Health Organisation’s 79th World Health Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva’s Place des Nations on Sunday.
The stopover in the capital marked her first known time in the UK since reportedly passing through Heathrow in July 2024 during a trip to Nigeria.
Her last official visit to Britain was in September 2022 for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Meghan Markle made a secret appearance on British soil this Monday, travelling through London as part of her journey home from Switzerland to California.
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GETTY
The brief London connection came just two days ahead of her eighth wedding anniversary with Prince Harry.
Cabin crew aboard her British Airways flight marked the occasion by surprising the Duchess with a heartfelt card and presents for the couple.
The handwritten note read: “Dearest Harry and Meghan, Wishing you a wonderful wedding anniversary, With love, The whole British Airways family.”
A source close to Meghan told People magazine: “They all came to say happy anniversary and shared their memories of where they were on the day.
“They wrote Harry and Meghan a card and gave them a bottle of champagne and British candies for Harry and the kids.”
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, had attended the World Health Organisation’s 79th World Health Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva’s Place des Nations on Sunday.
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GETTY
The Duchess of Sussex posted the gesture to her Instagram Stories, writing: “Thanks to this amazing flight crew for all the love yesterday! Appreciate all your memories and kind words.”
The flight, designated BA 269, departed from London at 15:31 on Monday, running 26 minutes behind schedule, before touching down in Los Angeles at 19:25 local time.
This routing meant the mother-of-two spent a period in the British capital during her homeward journey from Geneva.
The duration of her time at Heathrow remains unknown, as does whether she ventured anywhere else in London.
The choice of a London connection also raises questions, given that alternative routes through Frankfurt, Paris or Barcelona would have been available for the transatlantic leg of her trip.
The card from crew members was dated May 18 and marked with the flight number.
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The card from crew members was dated May 18 and marked with the flight number.
The source close to the Duchess of Sussex added that the gesture was “very special and so appreciated by Meghan, who wanted to publicly thank them. She was truly so touched.”
Prince Harry has previously stated that bringing his family to Britain poses safety risks without full-time armed police protection.
The Duke and Duchess lost their publicly funded security detail, which is provided to all senior members of the Royal Family, after they chose to relinquish their official royal roles.
This security arrangement has remained a point of contention, with Harry maintaining that adequate protection is essential before his wife and children can safely visit the country.