Prince Harry captured in touching moment with airport ground staff as he returns to London

The Duke of Sussex shared a touching moment with a member of airport staff as he returned to London following the death of his grandmother, the Queen.

Harry was seen leaving Balmoral Castle in Scotland at about 8.15am this morning, with the convoy passing flowers that had been laid in tribute to the UK's longest reigning monarch.

Wearing a black suit and carrying a black shoulder bag - he was seen boarding a British Airways flight alone at Aberdeen International Airport on Friday morning.

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The Duke was pictured accompanied by a woman wearing a hi-vis jacket, whom he spoke with, the PA news agency reports. At one stage he was seen placing a kind hand on her shoulder.

He had arrived at Balmoral around 12 hours earlier on Thursday evening, having cancelled an appearance at a charity awards ceremony in London to join senior members of the family. His flight arrived at Heathrow Airport shortly after 11.30am.

A number of people took to social media to praise the Duke for his actions during a time of personal grief. One person wrote on Twitter: "Even in times of grief, Prince Harry continues to be his mother's son."

Another said: "When you see Prince Harry, even in his own grief, able to put his arm around a member of the handling staff, it tells you everything you need to know about the man."

The Sussexes, who were coming to the end of a whistle-stop visit to Europe when the Queen died, are expected to stay in the UK to attend the Queen’s state funeral, which is likely to be held on September 19. They are expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

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