Prince Harry is supposed to be back in London this April. The Duke of Sussex, who should be stepping back from his royal duties by then, is expected to be at the London Marathon.
The annual event has been scheduled for April 26. However, the global coronavirus pandemic forced the event director, Hugh Brasher, to move the London Marathon to October. The decision follows other sporting events that have also postponed or canceled their season, such as the NBA, the Premier League football and the Formula 1 races.
According to Daily Express, Prince Harry will unlikely be traveling back to London due to the postponement. The Duke of Sussex, who attended the event regularly in the past, is still the patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
As the patron, Prince Harry joined part of the race in 2017 and handed out medals to the winners in 2018. In 2019, the duke also graced the sports event as he was anticipating the birth of his first child with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
On Thursday, March 12, Prince Harry was spotted in a commercial flight at the Victoria International Airport in Canada. The Duke of Sussex flew in with his security officer and is now reunited with his wife and son.
The Sussexes were in the U.K. in the last two weeks to complete their final royal engagements for the Queen and the Crown. However, Meghan flew back to Canada ahead of her husband on Monday after attending the Commonwealth Day service with the royal family. Prince Harry stayed behind to finish some more work and meetings.
It's unclear when the Sussex family will be able to fly home again amid the global health threat. On Friday, March 13, the royal family canceled their scheduled trips for this month and will re-evaluate other royal engagements thereafter.
The U.K. health department confirmed that nearly 800 people are positive with the COVID-19 virus. The World Health Organization said that Europe is the new epicenter of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, a source close to the family said that Prince Harry and Meghan are still "much loved" members. The friend said that despite the problems over the Sussex pair's decision to live in North America, there are elements to indicate that they are working things through with the royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan apparently told their kin that they are not abandoning anyone. In return, the royal family has shown their support, kindness and love as the Sussexes start their new life as non-working royals.
