Prince Harry Played a Surprise Part in Biden's Inauguration

toronto, on september 30 joe biden, jill biden and prince harry attend the wheelchair basketball final on day 8 of the invictus games toronto 2017 on september 30, 2017 in toronto, canada the games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for the armed forces photo by samir husseinsamir husseinwireimage

(Image credit: Samir Hussein)

published 22 January 2021

Prince Harry—or rather a photo of Prince Harry—made an appearance at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' inauguration.
The photo was spotted in the background of a photo of Biden speaking to Bill and Hillary Clinton at Arlington National Cemetery.
Harry is good friends with Jill Biden, and the president has joked about their friendship.

Prince Harry might not have attended Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's inauguration in person, but he still managed to make a surprise appearance—in the form of one very large photo.

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As CNN reports, Biden and Harris visited Arlington National Cemetery after they were sworn in, where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider alongside former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Biden spoke with Bill and Hillary Clinton in the cemetery's Memorial Display Room, as the Independent reports. Clinton staff member Jon Davidson posted a photo of their conversation on Twitter, captioning it, "It’s a new day in America."

Royal fans were quick to spot one detail in the background: A large photo of Prince Harry in his British Army uniform. According to the Independent, said photo was taken during Harry's 2013 visit to the Arlington National Cemetery. Observe:

It’s a new day in America. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/f6iMPBQpJvJanuary 20, 2021

Harry and Biden have actually met in person: They reportedly first met during Harry's 2013 visit to the U.S., while Jill Biden attended the first Invictus Games in London in 2014. Both Jill and Joe Biden subsequently attended the Invictus Games in 2016 and 2017, held in Orlando and Toronto respectively.

In fact, the then-future president joked about Harry and Jill's close bond at the 2016 Orlando games. "Jill went to London for the last Games," he said. "She spent too much damn time with Prince Harry."

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.