If you were on a 9.55AM flight to Nice in the days leading up to New Year's Eve, you might have been sharing the same recycled air as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Lucky you.
The 33 year-old Prince is said to have whisked away his 36 year-old actress fiancée to the French Riviera to ring in the New Year surrounded by sunshine and good wine.
According to the Daily Mail the couple boarded the economy British Airways flight early in an attempt to go unnoticed, where they sat at the back, close to the loos. The two of them and their three bodyguards took up three rows of seats, keeping the general public at a safe distance. Passengers on the plane described Harry as, 'slumped down next to the window dressed in jeans, a jacket and with a baseball cap pulled over his face.' Whilst Meghan wore a black beanie and minimal make-up.
Two heavily armed officers from the French border police were said to have greeted the happy couple from the aircraft, taking them swiftly through the VIP area. It has been reported that France's elite Service de la Protection – the police unit responsible for the protection of foreign dignitaries – flew down from Paris to guard the couple during their stay.
Asked if Kensington Palace had requested them, they said, 'No, it would have been offered and would have been non-negotiable. After what happened to his mother in this country and the issue of terrorism, it would be insisted on even for a private trip such as this.'
The pair were kept safe as they stayed in a private residence in the Riviera region with friends. Hopefully they had a relaxing break, before their May wedding preparations start in earnest.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
