Now we know why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were so conspicuously missing from the end of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations -- they were at 30,000 feet several hours beforehand.
Harry looked pensive and exhausted in Santa Barbara Sunday morning after the Sussexes and their 2 children flew private from London -- passing on the final Jubilee events, including the People's Pageant, and a surprise appearance by Queen Elizabeth herself.
QE2 kept it brief, but she did come out on her Buckingham Palace balcony to do some royal waving to her subjects gathered for the pageant. It was her first public appearance since the Jubilee began on Thursday, because she'd been feeling under the weather. Once again, she was joined by Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate and their 3 kids.
Even if Meghan and Harry had stayed for the finale, it's doubtful they'd have been on the balcony. They'd been banished to a separate room for the Jubilee kickoff, and they sat as far as possible from Kate and William during a church service.
Their early retreat back to their home in Montecito is just one more confirmation of what's painfully obvious -- the U.K. trip was for the Queen's sake, and NOT because things are any better between Harry and his brother and his father. The 3 of them were never photographed together all weekend.
Silver lining ... their daughter, Lilibet, got to meet her namesake and great-grandmother, the Queen.