Prince Harry may no longer live in the UK, but he still makes sure his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is taken care of.
“I’m just making sure she’s protected and has the right people around her,” he told Hoda Kotb in a preview of her Today sit-down, which airs Wednesday.
The interview was conducted at the 2022 Invictus Games, which Harry attended with his wife Meghan Markle. Ahead of the event, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex met the Queen and Prince Charles for their first reunion together in more than two years.
“It was great being with her,” Harry recalled. “It was just so nice to see her, you know?”
Queen Elizabeth – who turns 96 on Thursday – sparked international concern after she tested positive for COVID-19 in February. Since then, she has avoided most public appearances, including last weekend’s Easter celebrations.
But according to Harry, she’s fine and was in high spirits during our conversation.
“She’s in great shape and she always has a great sense of humor,” he shared, chuckling when Kotb noted that the Queen “always says” Harry makes her laugh.
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle returned to the UK for the 2022 Invictus Games. Getty Images
“Did you do it [make her laugh] asked Kobt, to which Harry replied, “Yes, I did! Both Meghan and I had tea with her, so it was really nice to meet her.”
Amid tensions with the royal family, Harry, 37, and Markle, 40, relocated to California in March 2020 and officially stepped down from royal duties the following year. They currently reside in Santa Barbara with son Archie, 2, and daughter Lilibet, 10 months.
“You know, my home is now, you know, in the States for now,” he told Kotb, 57.
“And that’s how it feels. We were welcomed with open arms and there is such a great community in Santa Barbara.”
He said the Queen was “in great shape” as they chatted over tea. Getty Images
Harry told the BBC a day earlier that his conversation with Queen Elizabeth focused on his trip to the Netherlands and the 2022 Invictus Games.
“She had a lot of messages for Team UK which I have already passed on to most of them,” he told the outlet. “So it was great to see her. I’m sure she would love to be here if she could.”
While Harry returned home for the unveiling of a memorial to Princess Diana last summer, the trip marked Markle’s first visit to the UK since their move.
Harry said he and Markle have “a great community in Santa Barbara,” where they live. Getty Images
The couple came under scrutiny last month for not attending the funeral service for Prince Philip, who died aged 99 last April, amid ongoing tensions with the royal family.
However, many are hoping the couple’s recent visit to the UK – as well as their presence at the Invictus Games – will help restore public opinion about them across the pond.
Harry’s full interview with Kotb will air Wednesday on NBC News’ Today.