Prince Harry made his solo appearance at the charity event hosted by Kevin Costner in California. His wife, Meghan Markle, couldn't attend the event due to illness. The Duke of Sussex paid his respect to fellow helicopter pilot at the One805Live Fall Concert in Carpinteria on September 20, 2024.

Fundraiser in Aid of First Responders The evening was a tuxedo affair, held on the polo field of Costner. Harry, suit attired but sans socks, arrived about 7 p.m. to present an award to helicopter pilot Loren Courtney. Meghan accompanied him here last year but was ill and couldn't make it this time.

A source told The Mirror, "We were all hoping Meghan would attend like she did last year, but the word is that she is sick and could not make it."

In the evening, Pink, Richard Marx - the hitmaker of '80s, and Kevin Costner himself entertained the participants of the event. Harry joked good-naturedly about the time he had spent at the controls of a helicopter and at the microphone during his turn, lighter moments in the context.

The Duke of Sussex mingled through the attendees, shaking hands with members of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department and other guests. One805Live is a major local fundraiser supporting first responders' work, and clearly this issue was dear to Harry's heart based on military service.

Harry's appearance at the ceremony will mark a busy time for him because he is preparing to travel to New York for other engagements that include attending the Diana Awards as well as making an appearance at a Halo Trust engagement-an organization, of course, very close to his heart given his late mother, the Princess Diana. The young prince will go back to the UK at the end of this month when he is expected to visit the Diana Memorial Awards on September 30, which will only make what promises to be a pretty busy calendar even busier.

As public appearances by Harry continue unabated, however little attention has been given to the popularity of Sussexes. Communications blunders alongside their move to the United States has resulted in them seeing their favorability fall, at least according to recent polls. Just last month, PR expert Edward Coram-James commented that how these two have failed to retain the public's support.

"It's just that they had a bad PR plan," Coram-James summed it up, musing over how their public standing took a dip after their move across the Atlantic.

With Harry staying on both in the US and elsewhere, the attention rarely shifts away from the Sussexes, who find themselves at a crossroads as they navigate life outside the royal family.