Prince Harry Discloses Cold Way He Learned Of The Queen's Death

The heartbreaking passing of England's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, sent shockwaves across the world. Members of the public poured out into the streets of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations around the globe after the news broke of her passing. From Canada to New Zealand, the queen was honored and remembered fondly as the New Elizabethan era came to an end. 

Of course, no one felt the queen's loss more deeply than her family. From the moment the news broke that Queen Elizabeth II's doctors were seriously concerned about her health, the royal family rushed to be by her side at her Balmoral Castle residence (via Insider). The queen's children were there when she died, as well as Prince William, then the Duke of Cambridge.

Sadly, not every member of the royal family got to be by the matriarch's side as she passed away at the age of 96. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was unable to make it in time to see his beloved grandmother before she died, though he was in England and able to travel to Balmoral. Now, he is opening up about the heartbreaking way he learned of the queen's death in his new memoir, "Spare."

While most people learn of a loved one's death from another member of the family, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, wasn't afforded this consideration. Instead, he reveals in "Spare" that he only found out that Queen Elizabeth II had died after reading it on the BBC website, per BBC News.

"When the plane started to descend, I saw my mobile phone light up," Harry wrote. "It was a message from Meg: 'Call me as soon as you read this.' I checked the BBC webpage. My grandmother had died. My father was the King."

He added that while he hoped to arrive at Balmoral in time to share his grandmother's last moments, the mood was somber when he landed in Scotland knowing she was no longer alive. "I put on a black tie, stepped off the plane into heavy drizzle," he recalled.