Prince Harry had eight-word reply as he walked away from cheering crowds

Prince Harry departed from a sea of cheering fans with a smile and an eight-word message last night.

The Duke of Sussex was in London to honour the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. Following the ceremony, he took time to interact with the crowds who gathered outside who had gathered to express their affection, chorusing: "We love you Harry".

Throngs had assembled on the thoroughfare, hoping for a glimpse of the prince. Lip reader Jeremy Freeman has provided insights into the short exchange that took place as Harry waved goodbye to the congregation before being ushered towards his car.

Exiting the scene, Jeremy deciphered the prince's parting comment: "Ok thank you, bye bye, thank you guys.", reports the Mirror.

During his brief tour, Harry exchanged greetings with fans: "Hi...hi...hi there...nice to meet you...great to see you.."

Upon being approached for a chat by a supporter, the duke responded with: "Pardon...oh really."

He also tried to shake hands with another admirer, saying: "Hey...hey... Here we go," after eventually managing to reach them.

Prince Harry's reception is even more poignant given the absence of any Royal Family members from the Invictus Games event at St. Paul's.

Whilst not far away, King Charles was seen accompanied by a large gathering of royals demonstrating solidarity at a Buckingham Palace garden party in the afternoon.

Meghan Markle chose not to accompany her husband on his trip back to the UK, leaving Prince Harry to attend the service solo.

However, he was in good company with family members including his uncle Earl Charles Spencer and aunt Lady Jane Fellowes, both siblings of the late Princess Diana. Also present were Harry's cousin Louis Spencer, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty, and his lawyer David Sherbourne.

Mark Dyer, a former Army officer who has been like a "second dad" to Harry, was also in attendance.

Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.